


Eximius

by Petiite



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Bottom Harry, Daddy Kink, Dubious Consent, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Sex, M/M, Royalty, Sex, Smut, Top Louis, some rape mention, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-11-27
Packaged: 2018-01-19 11:28:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 75,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1467832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petiite/pseuds/Petiite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He fell in love, and it would take centuries before that love would be returned.</p><p>(Or the one in which Harry knows nothing and Louis isn't straight.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

My eyes fluttered open at the feeling of someone watching me. With heavy eyelids, I struggled to focus through the darkness. There definitely was a figure there, and they were slowly crawling over me.

I opened my mouth to scream, but their hand quickly clapped over it. The figure reached with their other to the lamp on my nightstand, and as soon as the light clicked on, I was able to see. He was a rather attractive man, surprisingly, with light brown hair that feathered across his forehead.

“Shh, don’t worry,” he breathed, his voice hushed slightly but still evident to the high, rich tones there. “I’m the messenger, my name’s Louis.”

Quickly moving his hand off of my face, I scooted out from underneath him and backed up against the headboard. “W-why are you in my bed?”

He blinked his gorgeous blue eyes that were lit by the low-quality light, while moving down into a sitting position. “I’m here to activate you?”

Forcing a swallow, I shook my head. “I’m not a robot, I don’t know- I don’t need to be activated,” I mumbled, taking one of my pillows and setting it in my lap to protect me. Someone was in my room. In my bed. Maybe trying to- to touch me? While pulling my knees to my chest, I readied myself to scream again.

“But… Harry Edward Styles, right?” He huffed, furrowing his brow. “You’re one of us.”

“Who’s us?” I whimpered, before biting my lip. Why did I care? An attempted rapist, and I’m wondering what nonsense he’s spitting.

“Let me explain, then,” Louis shrugged, obviously trying to think. “Well, there’s an entire separate species of, uh, humans- well, we’re more like another type of human. We’re named _Eximius_ , which is Latin for _Extraordinary Ones_ , and we all have some sort of special talent.”

“Like, drawing, or singing?” I asked, completely convinced that he was a serial rapist that was obviously insane.

“No, like magic,” he grinned, waggling his fingers. “I’m a messenger, and I get to go out and collect the ones who haven’t woke up yet, like you. This happens every two years, and then we take them to the castle where you train for your callings, whether it’s a soldier or an educator. After your trainings, you get to join the rest of us, in our world.”

Yeah. He was insane. “Alright, let’s say I believe you,” I breathed, rolling my lip between my teeth. “Your calling- your _life path_ , is to come get us?”

The brunette nodded enthusiastically. “Did your parents not tell you about this? I mean, come on, this is their life as well.”

Shaking my head, I tried to push even further away, but was trapped against the wall. “My, uh, my older sister never left for training, I don’t know that she was awoken either,” I stammered, eyeing him slowly. “She’s downstairs, probably asleep.”

He paused for a second, before standing up and moving to the window. Great, now I put the rapist onto my sister. I was about to move to stop him when he bent down, picked up a small bag, and came back. “She’s downstairs, huh? She never left home,” he repeated, opening the seemingly-leather bag and pulling out a small compass.

“What’s that?”

“This is a radar system, for unawoken Eximius,” he explained, tapping the surface. “Your sister isn’t a lesbian, is she?”

“Not that I’m aware,” I huffed, squeezing the pillow. “I don’t know, we don’t talk very much.”

“Is she a virgin?”

“I don’t know!” I whimpered, hiding my face. “Why would that matter?”

“She’s not pinging on the system,” Louis shrugged, before putting it back in the bag.

“Maybe it’s broken?” I offered, blinking at him. He was definitely insane, and I should scream or get someone.

“Maybe,” he nodded, before tossing the bag off the side of the bed and- it vanished. Into thin air. Okay, maybe he was telling the truth. My eyes were locked on where the bag had been, so I didn’t see him moving forward until his lips were on mine.

His lips were soft, but the stubble was rough against my skin. Wide-eyed, I found myself completely frozen before pushing him away. “What- I- excuse me?”

“Okay, well, we can do this that way,” Louis winked, moving over me and, with one hand pinning me against the wall, palmed against my boxers. The pressure felt amazing, but I was too confused to focus.

Grabbing his wrist, I whimpered, “W-what are you doing to me?”

“Look, Harry,” he said slowly. “I have to activate you, we don’t really have a choice here.”

“H-how is this going to help?”

“I have to take your virginity, darling,” the brunette smiled gently, his eyes softening. “We can do this sweet, or we can do this rough.”

My heart pounded against my chest, and I felt my breathing speed up. Here was a cute, obviously experienced guy who is willing to have sex with me. He was looking at me, eyeing my half-naked body easily as I was only wearing boxers and a single sock. “I, uh-”

“Shh, let me treat you right,” the light-brown haired boy whispered, scooting forward just far enough to brush his lips against mine. It was such a gentle action, and it was almost relaxing. Of course, I still wasn’t convinced that he wasn’t insane, but maybe- _maybe_ he wasn’t.

Deciding to give up all worries, I lifted one hand to the back of his neck and kissed him back. I could feel his lips curl into a smile, and I followed suit. The way his hand caressed my cheek managed to calm me, and I wondered briefly if maybe it was his magic or whatever. Normally, if a man sneaks into your room at night, you tend not to let him ‘treat you right’, but there was a fog in my mind that seemed to cloud my judgement.

I inhaled sharply as his hand rested against my crotch, lightly brushing the fabric but oh so good. At my whimpering, Louis nodded barely before applying a little bit of pressure; the butt of his palm nudged against my soft cock, which was more than I could handle. My fingers fell to his shoulders, gripping at his shirt in desperation.

“U-uh,” I whined, feeling myself harden under his movements. “Ah.. a-ah…”

“Shh,” he teased, nibbling my lower lip before grinding his hand. “You don’t want your family to hear you, do you?”

Shaking my head, I slammed my eyes shut and dug my nails into his back. My cock was so hard, as this was the first time someone else had ever touched me. While involuntarily bucking my hips up, I knocked my head back against the wall in pleasure(although the contact briefly hurt).

“Or, who knows,” Louis grinned, wrapping his fingers around my bulge and squeezing slightly. “Maybe you do. Some parents like watching their kids wake.”

“Th-that’s disgusting,” I groaned, scrunching my nose at the thought. “I’d never let my parents watch.”

“I agree, it’s pretty disturbing,” he shrugged, before tugging me away from the wall. “Lay down, sweetheart.”

With a nod, I stretched my legs while scooting down, before resting my head on the pillows. My hands dropped to either side of my head, and, although I was seemingly relaxed, my heart was racing. The brunette paused as he glanced over me, then pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “Relax, darling, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“P-promise?”

“I promise,” he smiled, ever so gently running his thumb over my lower lip. “I’m not a bad person, and I’d never want to cause you pain. I’m sorry that your first time has to be with me, though.”

“It’s- it’s not too bad,” I shrugged, twisting my head to look away from him as my cheeks heated up. “I mean, you’re pretty fit, so it’s actually kinda okay.”

“Yeah? You think I’m fit?” A kiss was pressed to my collarbones, as a stray finger teased just barely under my waistband. “You’re a pretty good dish yourself.”

“Fuck- I uh, Louis?” I whimpered, pulling the pillowcase between my fingers.

“Shh,” he mumbled into my skin, before removing my boxer briefs and the sock I was wearing. “You’re going to feel so good, I promise.”

Nodding, I let one eye open as he sat up by my knees. He was locked on my dick, which was flush against my tummy. The look on his face caused it to twitch, which earned an amused eyebrow raise. A small smile crossed over his mouth, before he glanced up at me.

“So,” Louis started, blushing slightly. “How does this work?”

“Get your kit off,” I stammered, a little relieved that I’m not the only one embarrassed. “We can’t, well, do anything if you’re dressed.”

“A-alright,” he nodded, slowly fingering the bottom of his tunic-like shirt before tugging it over his head. His chest was nothing but muscle, with a tiny little pooch for a belly. My fingers pulled at his hips, toying at his skin barely. “Enjoying that?”

“You’re bloody fit,” I groaned, trailing up to his nipples and pinching them.

“You still think so? Even after seeing me like this?”

“Are you kidding?” I huffed, twisting them slowly. “What part of this wouldn’t be attractive?”

“I’ve got a huge tummy, and I’ve never been with a guy, and I’m really embarrassed right now,” he shrugged, before unbuttoning his jeans. “But you- you think I’m fit?”

“Yeah, fuck, shit,” I nodded, propping myself up on my elbows as he slid the fabric down his legs. “Fuck, your thighs are so hot.”

“I usually get crap about them, actually,” he hummed, before pulling off his boxers to reveal his soft cock. “They’re fat and floppy, and most girls hate them.”

“I think they’re second only to your dick,” I moaned, reaching one hand forward and wrapping it around his length. He leaned forward to rest his hands on either side of my head, before lowering himself to my lips.

“Are you sure you’re alright with this?”

“God, yeah, let me get you up,” I nodded, kissing him while slowly pumping his cock. I’ve never felt someone else’s, and the way it was beginning to harden with every stroke really got me going. His tongue darted across my lips, and I opened my mouth to give him access.

Suddenly Louis moaned into the kiss, and I found myself with a clouded mind. “Let me, uh,” he began, separating us slowly. “I need to penetrate you, no condom, or else this won’t work-”

Nodding reluctantly, I dropped my hand before reaching for the nightstand. Inside the top drawer was a half-used bottle of lube, and I shakily brought it to my chest. “H-here…”

“I thought you were a virgin?”

“I am-”

“It’s mostly empty, though.”

“I, uh, finger myself,” I admitted, turning a bright pink. “O-once in a while, when I’m, uh, _needy_.”

“O-okay,” Louis breathed, pausing with his hand over the bottle. “I’ve never done this, Harry. Will- will you show me how?”

After letting out a shuddering sigh, I opened the cap with a pop before trickling a little over my fingers. Slowly lifting my knees up, I whimpered, “C-can you hold my legs?”

The brunette nodded, then held the underside of my legs to my chest while still keeping his vision on my fingers. Moving down to my hole, I inhaled sharply before prodding with one finger.

I moaned as it slid in, just barely fighting at the muscles. My legs were struggling against his grip, which was slowly tightening with every pump in and out. My head tilted to one side, pulling the pillowcase between my teeth as I slid another finger along the first. Something about the way he was watching had it feeling amazing.

Another finger prodded against mine, and I vaguely realized that Louis’ hand had left one of my legs. While I was removing my own, he pushed his in, shakily stretching me.

“Holy-” he began, letting go of my other leg to hold himself up as he began thrusting his fingers slowly. “You’re so pretty.”

“L-Louis,” I whined, gripping at the sheets underneath me. “Y-you shouldn’t call a guy _pretty_.”

“You are, you’re like a princess,” he teased, scissoring his fingers as he kissed my ankle. “You have these really pretty pink lips and pale skin and dark brown hair and you’re just really pretty.”

“O-oh, _oh_ ,” I moaned as he pressed up against a bundle of nerves I wasn’t able to reach. My vision flashed white, and I thrusted up and knocked our hips together.

“Ready?” Louis asked, rubbing the spot over and over until it was almost too much.

“God, yeah, r-ready-”

He cut me off with a kiss, before slowly removing his fingers and reaching for the lube again. “You’re my first guy, babe. Feel special.”

“Y-you’re my first everything,” I breathed, gripping the sheets in desperation. “Please be gentle.”

“Of course, anything,” Louis hummed, prodding my slightly-stretched hole with his slicked up cock. His lips moved slowly over mine in an attempt to distract me from the pressure pushing at the ring of muscles. While slipping into me, he let out a string of deep moans, harmonizing with my own. “Fuck, you’re _tight_!”

My knees shakily hooked over his arms, which came to rest on either side of my body as he bottomed out. The pressure in my ass was almost unbearable, and I was pretty sure there were tears streaming down my cheeks. “It h-hurts, Louis-!”

“Shh, shh,” he whispered, nudging his nose against mine. “It’s alright, I’ll wait, just relax.”

With a dry sob, I lifted my hands to the cup the back of his neck, before slamming my eyes shut. He took that as an invitation to lick into my mouth, parting my lips and kissing me roughly; It was a brief distraction from the pain in my ass. It was so, so much pain, but also slightly nice, which was strange.

The caramel-haired boy was whispering sweet nothings into the kiss, before ever so gently tilting his hips back. There was a moment where I couldn’t feel a thing, and then my entire body was full of pleasure. He pushed back in, hesitantly as if not to hurt me.

“Is this alright?” Louis breathed against my lips. “Or-”

“Again,” I groaned, lacing my fingers behind his neck to pull him closer, although I wasn’t sure it was possible. “More, faster, please…!”

“The magic’s beginning to work, then,” he nodded, thrusting in again before licking into my mouth. It barely took a minute of that before a heat was growing in my stomach that I couldn’t quite fight.

“ _Louislouislouislouis_ ,” I whined, trying to hold my orgasm down. I wanted him to finish with me, to fill me with his- what is going on with my mind? I would never think about this normally.

“Yeah, shh, Harry, you’re so loud,” the caramel-haired boy teased, sitting straight and trailing his fingers up the back of my thighs. He jerked in a few times, then wrapped one hand around my cock and pumped me to a finish.

“Oh, _oh_ , oh,” I cried, shooting cum onto my chest. My eyes shot open, but my vision was pure white for a second, then slowly faded out to reveal him scrunching his face as he finished as well.

My entire body felt light, as if I was floating off the entire surface of the earth. Dropping my hands to either side of my head, I slowly let my eyes shut again. It took a moment for me to calm down, but as soon his cock left my hole, I felt empty.

“Wow, Harry,” Louis said, causing me to peek one eye to look at him. “You’re glowing.”

My cheeks colored. “Thanks, love.”

“No,” he shook his head. “You’re actually _glowing_.”

Blinking once, I lifted my hand and was surprised to see a pure white light illuminating from my skin. Immediately letting out a cry of surprise, I shot up into a sitting position(which _hurt_ ), before feeling arms wrap around me.

“Shh, you’re alright,” the caramel-haired boy whispered, lifting me into his lap. In an attempt to calm me, he tangled his fingers in my curls, before whispering, “I’m here, I’ll stay right here, tell me how you’re feeling.”

My brows furrowed as I tried to figure out what I felt. It was warm, but at the same time, I felt frozen to the bone. There was a stinging, burning sensation on my lower stomach, and I whimpered, “My belly hurts.”

“That’s normal,” Louis hummed, covering my temple in kisses. “That’s what happens when you awaken, you’ll be alright. I’ll take care of you.”

“Ow, ow,” I cried, shaking slightly in his arms. “It hurt so, so much-”

“Stay right here,” he breathed, before disappearing suddenly. I was elevated in midair for a split second, although it felt like much longer, before the caramel-haired boy was back underneath me. “Alright, I’m back.”

Blinking slowly, I gripped onto his skin to release some of the building pain in my muscles. “How did- where- what?”

“I can teleport, babe. It comes with the job,” he shrugged, pressing something to my lower belly. It caused me to jump, for it was so cold, and I whined pitifully. “Yeah, I know darling, but ice is going to help.”

“It’s cold, and it burns, and please,” I whimpered, my vision going slightly blurry as I almost passed out. It was mind-wipingly painful, as I forgot who I was for a brief second, but came back at the vague whispers in my ear.

“You’re okay, you’re going to be okay,” Louis cooed softly, punctuating with gentle kisses. “Everything is going to be okay. It’ll stop hurting in a moment, and then everything will be alright. The spell will wear off overnight, and you’ll feel better, I promise.”

“S-spell?” I groaned, collapsing completely in his grip. The ice did seem to dull the burn slightly, and it seemed to be getting better.

“Just a little aphrodisiac, to calm you down and make you a little more…” he hummed, shrugging his shoulders. “Willing. I’m not a fan of it, but it was the only way you would let me touch you.”

“You drugged me?”

“I said I’m not a fan.”

With a soft huff, I buried myself in his shoulder. “Are you a rapist?”

“I feel like it sometimes,” Louis sighed, laying back on my bed and pulling me with him. “I wish I could just… _ask_ people what they want. I want to have someone to, you know, spend the rest of my life with, but no one wants to marry a professional slut.”

My eyes flickered shut, as I felt slightly drunk. “I would,” I slurred, tucking myself under his chin. “Nothin’ wrong with sluts.”

“You’re a different one, babe,” he chuckled, playing with my hair. “You don’t know anything, you’re not a spoiled brat, and you started glowing. I’ve never seen someone glow before.”

“m’special?”

“You’re super special, Harry Edward Styles,” he teased, resting one hand on my shoulder blade. “You’re gonna be an important person.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, tucking my head under his chin. “For everything.”

“Go to sleep, sweetheart,” Louis cooed. “I’ll be gone before you wake up.”

“Why?” I pouted, gripping him a little tighter.

“I have to go back to the castle and prepare for your arrival,” he explained slowly, kicking the blanket up over us. “But I’ll stay here until you fall asleep, if you want.”

“Please,” I begged, nudging my nose into his skin.

He didn’t answer with words, but instead with a careful circle, drawn onto the back of my neck. A smile crossed my face, and I let sleep slowly take me.


	2. Chapter 2

With my alarm going off on my bedside table, I slowly lifted myself onto my elbows and smacked the source of the sound. “Will you be quiet?” I huffed, frustrated at how tired I was; Usually I was more awake when I got up. A faint burning sensation on my lower stomach reminded me of the night previous, and I could feel my entire face heat up.

Right. I had sex with a stranger.

Hesitantly getting out of the duvet, I set both feet on the plush rug before pushing myself up. My legs wobbled as they took all pressure, which was strange. My lower back twinged, and, with a soft cry, I stumbled forward to catch the bedpost. Okay. This was going to be harder than I expected.

After a good two minutes, I managed to cross the meter to the en suite bathroom. Glancing accidentally at the mirror on the wall, I paused in shock.

“What the hell?” I whispered, tracing a finger over the slightly-raised skin. “This looks like a tattoo?”

An X, black and marked onto the skin, was on my lower belly, just above where my pubes ended. The ever-so-gentle contact of the pad of my finger against the mark stung, causing me to stop and pull at my hips instead.

Did that guy from last night leave this? With a huff, I lifted my hands to my head and dug my palms into my eyes. Great. Dragging my fingers down my cheeks, I paused at another mark.

The roman numeral 3, carved into my wrist? What could that mean?  

Rolling my eyes slowly, I turned to step into the shower. I would have to hide that, for sure.

\-----

Stepping into the classroom, I quickly scanned around the room before rushing to the side of my best friend. My fingers quickly gripped his uniform sleeves as I whined, “Grimmy!”

“You’re a little earlier than normal, what’s up?” He hummed, glancing down at me.

“I have a problem,” I hissed, rolling my lip between my teeth and blushing.

“Uh,” he started, blinking slowly before dragging his eyes down my body, finally stopping at my pants. Glancing between my waistband and my face, he cocked one eyebrow playfully. “Really? I mean, I don’t mind, but here?”

“I’m serious, Nick,” I growled, tightening my grip on his sleeve. “Can we talk somewhere more private?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the taller man nodded, letting me drag him back out into the hallway. After a second, I took him into the single-stall bathroom and locked it behind us. “What’s up, Haz?”

“W-well,” I stammered hesitantly, before dropping my backpack to the floor. My fingers started pulling at the bottom of my sweater, tugging it up, but were caught by Nick’s hand.

“Wait, you’re _serious_?” He whispered, stepping closer. “I mean, I’m- well- shouldn’t we do this somewhere a _little_ more private?”

Rolling my eyes, I batted his hand away. “Get your head out of the gutter, I have a serious issue,” I hissed, lifting my sweater and button down to reveal the X.

“Is that a tattoo?” Grimmy snorted, getting down on his knees to admire it closer. “You should’ve told me you were getting one, I was thinking of getting a new one as well. We could’ve done it together.”

“Sure, if I knew I was getting one,” I huffed, wincing at the gentle brush of his fingers. “I woke up with it.”

He glanced up at me while saying, “You got a _drunk_ tattoo of an _x_?”

“N-not drunk,” I whimpered, leaning against the wall. “I think I was drugged, though.”

Nick listened intently as I told him my story, about Louis and the Eximius.

“So…” he hummed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “A guy came into your room, drugged and raped you, and then tattooed an X on your belly?”

“Yes.”

“And he told you some shit about a magical land that you belong to?”

I nodded, wiping a tear from my eye. Sliding down the wall, I sat and tried my hardest not to cry. “But he could teleport, Nick, you should’ve seen it.”

“You were drugged, babe,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around me. His cologne was calming, and I instantly relaxed into his grip. “I don’t think he actually did any teleporting.”

“You’re probably right,” I sniffled, closing my eyes and shaking my head slowly. “I’m an idiot, aren’t I?”

“No, sweetheart,” he cooed, lifting me to his lap. “We need to tell the police, get an APB out for this guy.”

“P-please, no,” I begged, tucking my head under his chin. “I don’t want anyone to know-”

“There’s nothing shameful about being raped,” Grimmy interrupted, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “And we need to tell someone.”

“Nick, please,” I whimpered, slamming my eyes shut as tears started falling. “I don’t want the world to know I lost my virginity to a rapist.”

His fingers dug into my back. “I didn’t realize you were a virgin.”

“N-not anymore.”

“That piece of shit!” Nick hissed, holding me tighter. “God, if I ever meet him, I’ll kill him.”

“Grims-”

“Kill. Him.” He snapped, kissing my temple. “No one touches my best friend.”

The bell rang, and I started to pull away. “We should get to class-”

“No, we’re skipping today,” he decided, letting me struggle against his grip but not releasing. “I’ll take you back to my place once class starts, we can sneak out.”

“I can’t just skip school,” I huffed, furrowing my brow. “My mom would kill me!”

“I’ll explain to her that you got raped an-”

“No,” I all-but-yelled, gently punching his shoulder. “She can’t know. Come up with some lie, you’re good at that.”

He forced a cough, then said, “Looks like I have a cold, won’t you take me home?”

I rolled my eyes, but nodded and hesitantly untangled myself from his grip.

\-----

Once in his flat, I dropped my shoes and bag before stretching out.

“Your mum’s not home, is she?” I hummed, spinning on my heel to look at him.

“Nah, she’s out with her boyfriend,” Nick answered, before sliding his hands under my bum and lifting me. “C’mere, lemme carry you to bed.”

Obediently wrapping my legs around his waist, I tucked my nose into the crook of his neck. “We’re so fucking domestic,” I grinned, watching the room behind me disappear as he strolled through the living room and into the hallway. “Someone asked me if we were dating, yesterday.”

“Yeah?” He teased, pushing his bedroom door open with his foot. “What did you say?”

“I said I wish I had someone like you,” I giggled, letting him drop me onto the mattress that I’ve spent many nights on. “But no, we aren’t dating.”

“I love you,” he smiled, crawling next to me. His fingers played with my curls, ever so lightly brushing my scalp. “I love you so much.”

“Mmm,” I beamed, scooting closer to him and burying my face in his chest. “I love you too.”

After a moment of comfortable silence, we both spoke at the same time:

“We need to talk about last night,”

and

“Is that my face on your wall?”

“You first,” he sighed, a slight laugh in his voice.

“That huge poster, is that us?” I hummed, adjusting myself so I could see a little better.

“Yup, that’s the picture your sister took on the night of your first school dance,” Grimmy nodded. “I had it blown up. You were so cute, what happened?”

Laughing loudly, I said, “Yeah, you looked better then too.”

“I’m hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” I quickly apologized, getting on my elbows and pouting at him.

He cocked a smile. “You’re too much fun, babe. You need to not apologize so much.”

“But-”

“I was teasing you,” Nick explained slowly, caressing my cheek. “You could never hurt my feelings.”

“I could tell you that I think your hair looks stupid in a quiff,” I shrugged, leaning into his hand.

“But you’re lying,” he sassed, raising one eyebrow. “I _know_ it looks fabulous.”

“You’re so-” I started, but ended with a sigh. “I’m so glad we’re mates.”

“Me too, love,” the brunette nodded, before his face dropped. “Now. Last night.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I shook my head, crawling over him and resting over his body. “He was fit, if that changes anything.”

“And you were drugged, so he might not have been fit at all,” Nick huffed, playing with the small of my back. “I’m pissed that he touched you at all.”

“It was- I remember enjoying it,” I shrugged, closing my eyes and seeing Louis in the back of my mind. “He said I started glowing when I, uh, y’know.”

“You came, and you lit up like a lightbulb?” the brunette groaned. “Harry, you know that that doesn’t happen. You’re a rational person.”

“Yeah, but,” I sighed heavily. “I saw it, Grimmy. I was glowing.”

“You were drugged.”

“But I _feel_ like it happened,” I mumbled into his sweater. “Like, deep in my bones or something. I feel like he was telling the truth.”

Nick sat up suddenly, easily lifting me onto his lap. “Let’s say he was. That this crazy other world exists, and, lo-and-behold, you’re one of them.” He shook his head slowly, knitting his eyebrows in pity. “He still took your virginity without your consent.”

“It was consensual-”

“He _admitted_ to using an aphrodisiac! That automatically takes away any and all consent,” he snapped, wrapping his arms around my shoulders a little too tightly. “Harry, he did something to you that shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

“I know, but, I don’t know,” I sighed, closing my eyes.

“I still think we need to talk to the police-”

“No.”

“What if he comes back?”

“He won’t, he’s at the castle preparing for my arrival.”

This sparked his interest. “Your arrival?”

“Yeah?”

“He’s going to kidnap you, Harry!” Nick spat, letting go of me to reach for the phone. “That’s it, I’m calling 999.”

“No, no no no!” I whimpered, lacing my fingers with his and pulling his hand to my chest. “Please, I’ll be okay, I can fight him off.”

“What if he uses the aphrodisiac again? You’ll be putty in his hands,” the brunette hissed, but instead of pulling away, he tightened his grip on my knuckles. “If only we could find out when he was coming to get you, then we could catch him.”

Thinking for a second, I freed my hand to pull up my sleeve. “This. This was also here when I woke up.”

“Three? Roman numeral three,” he mumbled, tracing his finger over the mark. “This is more like he carved it, less like a tattoo.”

“There was no blood or anything,” I shrugged, watching his movements. “D’you think it means anything?”

“Well, either you’re number three, or he’s coming to get you in three,” Nick sighed, gently applying pressure and watching me for my reaction. “Let’s go with the second option. So, he’s either getting you in three days, three weeks, or three months.”

“What about years?”

“You said he only comes every two years, yeah? It wouldn’t make sense to mark you so far in the future,” he explained with a shrug. “Three days from now is Friday, so I’m staying at your place.”

“But what if it isn’t three days?” I sighed, resting my forehead on his shoulder.

“Then, three weeks from now, I’ll stay at your place again. And three months from now,” he said. “You’re my best mate, and there’s no way I’m letting some dick kidnap you to become his sex slave.”

“Thank you, Nick,” I hummed, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath of his cologne. “I love you.”

“I love you more than you’ll ever know,” Grimmy replied, pressing a kiss to my curls. “You’re my everything.”


	3. Chapter 3

Friday came quickly, and, to both Nick’s and my surprise, my wrist had counted down.

Now, with just the roman numeral one, I was more than a little terrified.

“So, how are we doing this?” I whispered, following Nick up the stairs to my room. “Mum can’t know about it.”

“We’ll stay up and wait for him, then, when he’s interested in you, I’ll surprise him and kick his ass,” he shrugged, throwing his overnight bag to the wall. “Then we’ll call the police and claim he broke in.”

“That works,” I hummed, flopping down on my bed with a sigh. “I hope, at least.”

The brunette laid down next to me, wrapping his arms around my body comfortingly. “I won’t let him take you, okay?” He punctuated with a kiss to my temple. “He’s not getting you.”

“Why is this happening to me?” With a soft whimper, I pressed my face into his neck. “What did I do to deserve a rapist and possible kidnapper?”

“Well, there was that time in the second grade that you kicked me in the balls,” he shrugged, gently rubbing between my shoulderblades. “I kid, of course. No one deserves to be raped or kidnapped, and your karma is nothing but good.”

“Did I really kick you?”

“Yeah, but you gave me your pudding, so whatever.”

Giggling into his skin, I traced my finger over his shoulder before pressing a kiss to his sweater. “Thank you for protecting me all the time,” I mumbled. “I know I’m weak, and it means a lot to me that you stick by me.”

“Aw, Haz,” Grimmy beamed, before kissing my nose. “I’ll always stay with you. Even if you are a weakling.”

“If we’re both single at thirty-five, we should get married,” I suggested jokingly. “We can have two kids, a boy and a girl, and I’ll be the housewife.”

“I’ll get you a ring tomorrow,” he teased, twisting a curl around his finger. “Where will we live?”

“Somewhere in London,” I grinned, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. “You get to decorate, though, I’m terrible at it.”

“I have your face plastered on my wall,” he snorted. “I’m not amazing either.”

“We’ll figure it out together, I guess,” I hummed, closing my eyes and relaxing into him. “I love you, Grims.”

“Love you too, babe.”

\-----

There were only a few minutes left until Midnight when Nick finally stood from the bed and crossed to the door. He locked it easily, before moving to the windows and slamming them shut.

“Now, he can’t get in,” the brunette hummed, sitting on the chair by my desk after closing all the curtains. “So unless he’s really using magic, he won’t even show up.”

“Thank you,” I yawned, shifting my bum on the mattress. We had spent the last few hours switching between homework and video games, and it was an understatement to say that I was tired. “D’you think I have to be asleep?”

“I think you’re a lazy asshole,” he chirped, throwing a folded shirt towards me. “You don’t get to sleep while I have to stay up.”

“I’m serious,” I whined, blocking the flying fabric with my forearm. “He came when I was asleep last time-”

“-It might’ve been midnight,” Nick interrupted, rolling his eyes at me. “You go to bed so early, who knows when he popped in?”

“Ten p.m. is not early,” I huffed. “Just because you stay up until 3 doesn’t mean everyone does.”

“And just because you go to bed at wimp-o-clock doesn’t mean I have to,” he retorted, a cocky grin spreading across his face. “Wimp.”

“But you love me,” I shrugged, stretching out across the duvet. “And you can’t live without my wimpiness to make you more awesome.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed softly. It was true, at least on some level; I made him more confident, more cocky, and he took care of and protected me. It was a mutually rewarding friendship, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“How long?” I hummed into the air, closing my eyes. They were so heavy, begging to sleep.

“Just a minute,” the brunette said slowly from the chair, before laughing, “Are you really conking out now? We’re about to catch this asshole and-”

I didn’t hear the rest.

\-----

“-and you’re asleep,” the taller one groaned fondly, standing from his seat and stumbling to the mattress where Harry was resting. He cupped the boy’s cheeks, gently caressing the skin, before leaning down and almost kissing him.

I tried to force anger into my gut, hiding the flames of jealousy. Shutting my eyes for a little longer than a blink, I teleported myself into the small bedroom from the tree I had been peeking in from(it was easier before he had closed the curtains).

“Who the fuck?” the man spat, dropping the curly-haired boy back onto the pillow. “How the fuck did you get in here?”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “I don’t have to explain myself to you, _Human_.”

“You’re the asshole who raped my Harry, yeah?” His eyes burnt with rage, not even phasing me, and he slowly stood from the mattress. “You’ve come to kidnap him, yeah?”

“Kidnap is such a strong word,” I shrugged, trying to come off as nonchalant when in honesty I was pissed off. It’s bad enough to have to take strangers’ virginity, but to be called a kidnapper as well? “I’m simply delivering him to his destiny.”

“You’re not taking him.”

“Actually, I have to,” I hummed, stepping closer to the bed.

“I won’t fucking let you,” the man hissed, swinging his fist towards my face. Blinking again, I simply moved myself to the other side of the bed. He let out a little ‘oof’ noise as he swung through the air, and quickly spun around. “How the fuck did you do that?”

“Look, I promise I won’t hurt him,” I breathed, reaching for Harry’s cheek and knitting my brows. He was beginning to glow again. “I just need to take him.”

“Don’t fucking touch him!” The man yelled, launching himself at us, only a second too late. No longer in the artificially-lit room, I reluctantly let my fingers slide off of the boy’s face. The curtain from the canopy bed he was now in tickled the back of my neck, but I couldn’t move.

He was still glowing, the white light escaping from his ivory skin almost hypnotizing. I couldn’t quite control the way I lifted one knee onto the mattress, propping myself up as I leaned over him. My lips brushed against his, gently and almost not even there; the way it felt sent a shiver down my spine. This was wrong- you’re _straight_ , Louis, he’s _asleep_ , Louis- but it felt so right. Leisurely removing my lips, I fluttered my eyes open and paused. He wasn’t glowing anymore.

Immediately feeling like I had done something wrong, I stood, closed the sheer curtains of his bed, and twisted to face the rest of his room. Saying it was nice was an understatement, as it was the third or fourth largest room in the entire castle; the Styles Legacy did get him some perks. It was a wide open room, with hardwood flooring and royal purple walls, a few seats, and a wall of bookshelves.

Closing my eyes with a sigh, I left his room and teleported to mine. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry for the long hiatus! I feel terrible about it :( hopefully you'll forgive me.

With a stifled grunt, I rolled onto one side and peeked an eye open. Unless Nick had decided to redecorate while I was sleeping, this was not my room. Suddenly tense and breathing heavily, I tried not to move while taking in my surroundings.

The walls were royal purple with some sort of regal pattern, etched in faded gold. The floor was basic hardwood, but stretched out longer than I could even imagine. After taking a deep breath, I slowly sat up and pushed at the sheer curtains enveloping the four-post bedframe. In the corner, resting on an armchair, was a large, burly man who had a small book in his lap and a pair of glasses on his nose.

“U-um,” I stammered, hesitant to catch his attention. “W-where am I?”

His head shot up to me, and a smile spread across. “Ah, Master Styles. Welcome to the castle.”

“Err-”

“You’re in the third floor, west wing,” he continued, standing slowly and setting his book down on the table. “I’m Paul, your personal bodyguard through your training.”

“I’m, uh, Harry,” I mumbled, pulling my knees to my chest while wrapping the duvet over me. “Can I t-talk to Louis?”

He stared blankly for a moment.

“Louis? You know, the messenger guy,” I explained, chewing on my lip. “I want to talk to him, is that okay?”

“All the staff are busy right now,” Paul hummed, bowing his head slightly. “And you need to get ready, so we wouldn’t have time anyways.”

“R-ready for what?”

“The Welcoming Ceremony?” He shook his head, amused. “It’s your first impression, and you need to make a good one. Come, we need to get you in the bath.”

“R-right,” I swallowed the dry lump in my throat before swinging my legs over the side of the bed. Nick had been wrong, at least; Louis wasn’t just some insane rapist and kidnapper. Stepping towards the burly man, I laced my fingers together in front of my stomach. “Tell me more about the ceremony?”

“You and the other Liberi are going to be announced to the King and Queen and all of the court,” he smiled, opening a door at the end of the huge room and ushering me into another. “They’ll introduce your instructors for the next month, and then there’ll be a small speech by the Oracle. The night will finish with a buffet and a dance. Here’s the bath.”

He pulled back a semi-sheer curtain, revealing a tub of steaming water that resembled more of a swimming pool. “This is- this is huge,” I stuttered, clenching my hands nervously. “I, uh, I’m not so sure that I deserve this much.”

“This is the same room that your father used when he was your age,” Paul sighed, before reaching for my pants. “Come on, we don’t have time to dilly-daddle. Get in the water, I’ll get a few Washers in here for you.”

Nodding awkwardly, I dropped my pajamas and quickly sunk into the bath, embarrassed to let the man see my body. The water was pleasant, wrapping around my shoulders and neck as I tried to hide. “What are W-washers?”

“Personal maids to come clean you up,” he rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you don’t know any of these things. Your dad obviously didn’t bother to teach you anything.”

“You knew my dad?”

“Yeah, Des was the healer who attended the first time I ever got into a fight,” he laughed,his eyes glazing over slightly with nostalgia. “He was one of the best people I ever knew.”

Dropping my chin to look at my hands through the water, I lowered my eyes and sighed. “I didn’t really know my dad too well, he left us when I was young,” I shrugged, rubbing my thumb into my wrist bone.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Paul immediately said, knitting his eyebrows together as if he had died. “I’ll go grab Washers- would you prefer male or female?”

My face immediately flushed. “U-uh?”

“That is, which are you attracted to?” He thought for a second. “Or, I could grab a mix of both.”

“I, uh, men?” I stammered. If only the ground would open up and drag me away. Before I could ask why, he disappeared out yet another door. “Great.”

With soap bubbles teasing at my skin, I leaned my head back against the side of the comically-oversized tub and let a long sigh into the air. After briefly wondering what Nick must’ve been thinking, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried not to cry; What on Earth had I gotten into?

“...Louis,” I whispered before biting down on my lip. My fingernails dug into my thighs, trying to keep myself up all while fighting the breakdown that was tingling the back of my throat. This was his fault. If he had never shown up, then I would still be at home, tucked into Nick’s arms and snoring into the small bedroom.

“Harry,” Paul’s voice came, snapping me out of my little pity party. “This is Ashton, Luke, Calum, and Michael. They’re your personal Washers for today.”

Glancing up, I was regrettably faced by four overly attractive guys, all of them smiling proudly. “H-hi,” I whispered, refusing to make eye contact.

“Shall we get started?” One of them grinned, showing off a cute pair of dimples. “I’m Ashton.”

“M’Luke,” another one hummed, stripping his pants off before lowering himself into the bath.

“I’m Calum-”

“Woohoo!” The last one cheered, jumping into the water completely naked. It splashed up everywhere, and the rest of us winced to keep the soap out of our eyes. “I’m Michael!”

Completely stunned, I just nodded slowly. Ashton was laughing, pointing one finger at Michael’s brightly colored hair and how it was sticking randomly to his forehead. The other two were chuckling as well, more at the reactions than the actual action. They had such a great chemistry, I could feel it already, yet I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

As if on cue, Calum said, “So, we’re going to be washing you. Which means you kinda have to relax.”

“I can,” I started, wondering if they were able to hear my heart beating against my chest. “I can wash myself, though.”

“It’s more fun if we do it, though,” the dimpled one beamed, wading over to the opposite edge of the bath to grab a bucket of supplies.

“It’s just a bath, dear,” Luke smiled comfortingly, setting his hand on my shoulder. “I freaked out my first time getting washed as well, but it’s really not a big deal.”

“We’re just gonna scrub your back, dunk your head, and fuck you up the ass,” Michael joked, before taking some sort of sponge (sort of pink and round? Nothing I’d ever seen before) and stepping closer.

“He’s kidding,” Calum quickly added, half-glaring at his friend(?) while taking his own sponge.

They stepped closer, all sort of surrounding me with small grins on their lips. “So scoot away from the wall, we gotta be able to get at you,” Ashton hummed, tossing his sponge between his hands.

With a hesitant motion, I pushed myself about a foot from the edge of the tub. They all immediately went to work, causing my heart to race in a way that I couldn’t stand; four very attractive men were touching me. _Touching me_. They each took a separate part, with Luke scrubbing my back, Ashton pouring something onto my hair, and Calum and Michael washing my arms.

“So, tell us about you, uh-?” Luke started, the sponge he was working drawing circles into my shoulderblades.

“Harry.”

“Tell us about you, Harry.”

“I’m, uh,” I shrugged. My throat felt tight, and I half-wondered if throwing up would get them away from me. “I’m from Holmes Chapel?”

Ashton pulled away from where his fingers had been digging into my scalp. “The outside?”

“I g-guess?” My eyes squeezed shut, fighting tears. “I was born and raised there and then like three days ago I found out about this whole world thing.”

“Your parents didn’t tell you anything?” Calum whispered, as if it was hard to understand. “Not even that you were one of us? That’s ridiculous.”

“I guess not,” I shrugged, clenching my fists in the water. “I’m still trying to get used to the idea that this is all really happening.”

“Well, you’re in good hands, at least,” Luke comforted, although his movements were getting closer to my ass with every second. “Paul is one of the best guards in the entire castle, which is why he was assigned to you.”

At my confused look, Michael continued. “The Styles legacy is the longest, dating back to the beginning of the Eximius. If there was any family you could’ve been born into, this one was the best.”

I closed my eyes as Ashton poured a bucket of water over my head, rinsing the soap from my curls. “It’s just…” With a sigh, I shook my head which caused the damp curls to smack my forehead. “Strange.”

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

After the bath, I was sitting in front of an abnormally large vanity in nothing but a fluffy towel. There was a woman- she introduced herself as Lou, causing me to think about Louis for the millionth time since waking up- playing with my hair, pinning the curls away and using some sort of magic to keep them in place.

“So, are you excited for the ceremony?” she grinned, catching my eyes in the mirror.

“I’m scared,” I admitted. “I don’t really do with crowds or people, and I only have one friend, so…”

“You’ll be fine,” she laughed while tossing her head back. “As long as you don’t, I don’t know, punch someone in the face.”

“Well there goes my introduction,” I joked, forcing myself to relax a little. She seemed friendly enough, although I didn’t trust anyone here as far as I could throw them. Which wasn’t very far.

“See? You’ll fit right in,” Lou beamed, taking out the pins one by one, before nudging the chair until I was facing her. “Let me quickly clean up your face, then you can go get dressed.” At my nodding, she snapped her fingers, which caused a sudden tingling on my skin. “There you go,” she hummed, twisting the chair back towards the mirror.

“W-wow,” I whispered, amazed at the way I looked all of a sudden. The blemishes that were littering my cheeks just moments previously were all gone, leaving an even complexion that complimented my now-stunning green eyes and perfectly styled curls. “You’re amazing.”

“Aww,” Lou giggled, rubbing my shoulder. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“I mean it, this is the best I’ve ever looked.” Standing slowly, I turned to face her with a grin on my face. “My friend Nick tried to dress me up for prom and I looked terrible. This is-” I gestured towards the mirror vaguely- “Brilliant, just brilliant.”

She blushed slightly, the pink of her cheeks contrasting with the lavender of her hair. “I’ll take that as a compliment, since I don’t really know what a prom is.”

“It’s like, a huge dance that students go to, or whatever,” I shrugged, slowly realizing how different everything is here compared to back home. “We get all dressed up to go and pretend to dance.”

“What do you mean, pretend?” She blinked several times, before ushering me towards a large set of doors at the other side of the room.

“Well, it’s more like everyone just bobbing back and forth and punching the air,” I laughed slightly, remembering how terrible I was.

“That’s dancing on the outside?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

“Strange,” Lou whispered, opening the doors. Behind the dark wood was a large, dramatic walk-in closet, with what looked like a military uniform hanging on one of the humongous shelves. As I admired the gold fabrics that made up the accents, the lavender-haired woman said, “Get changed.”

“Woah, woah,” I spat in surprise. “I’m wearing that?”

“It’s the ceremonial outfit that’s been passed down through your family, although it’s been restored many times,” she explained, lifting it off the hanger. “It’s the one your father wore, and his father before him, and his great-grandfather before that- there was a woman inbetween, so she had a beautiful gown sewn for her.” She glanced at me. “Would you rather wear that?”

“No, I’ll, uh, take the suit,” I stammered, feeling my face heat up. “Do I get underwear?”

“In the drawer there.” She pointed to the corner before stepping out of the closet and closing the door behind her.

Finally alone for the first time since waking up, I let out a small sigh before turning back to the outfit. “I guess,” I started, took a deep breath, then continued. “I guess I have to get dressed.” After dropping my towel, I paused to run a finger over the X. It reminded me constantly of that first night, of the beautiful idiot that ruined my life. With a soft sigh, I turned to grab the dark grey pants off of the hanger, pull them on, then figure out the top. There was a plain white undershirt that I slipped on, followed by a proper military jacket. It took a moment to get it on and buttoned properly, but once on, it fit perfectly.

“Are you done in here?” Lou called, knocking on the doors.

“I’m a little confused,” I admitted, blushing slightly. “I can’t figure this out.”

She popped her head in, looked me over, and chuckled. “Yeah, they can be pretty confusing. Let me help.”

“Thank you so much,” I said, letting her take the sash off of the hanger and wrapping it around my waist.

“No problem,” Lou hummed, tying a knot in the golden fabric. “My gown was six or seven different pieces that took over an hour to figure out. But, as you can see-” she gestured to her loose tunic and baggy capri-like pants- “you can really wear whatever you want once you get out of the classes.”

“I’ll be glad to get out of this costume tonight,” I groaned, reaching towards a pair of black leather gloves and slipping them on. “What’s next?”

“Probably your cape,” she smiled, taking a white sheet of fabric. With utmost accuracy, she pinned it under my left shoulder epaulette, causing it to drape against my back and down to my ankles. “And then your boots.”

“Boots,” I repeated, turning to look and finding a white knee-length pair. “These?”

“Those are them,” she shrugged, kneeling down and taking them from me. “Lift your foot, I’ll help you put them on.”

“Thanks, Lou,” I smiled, slipping my feet into the boots one at a time. “I’m just really nervous. What even am I supposed to do at this Welcoming Ceremony, anyways?”

“Look nice, smile, and pay attention.” With a comforting smile, she stood back up and reached for the final accessories. “You’ll meet your teachers, and your new friends, and eventually, one of those girls will be your wife,” she finished as she set a laurel on my curls.

My face paled. “W-wife?”

“Well yeah, of course,” she shrugged, turning to grab a gem. “Normally people marry into their year.”

“Could I not-” I swallowed forcefully- “Could I not marry a guy?”

Lou paused, with a golden jewel between her fingers. “Oh,” she blinked. “Yeah, I mean, it’ll be a little harder to find another gay guy, but yeah. You could totally marry a dude.”

With a relieved sigh, I let her push the gem against my forehead. “Sorry if that was awkward.”

“Hey, no big,” she laughed, releasing the jewel. “Two of my best mates are lesbians.”

“Really?”

“They _are_ about ten years apart, but they love each other.”

“That’s sweet,” I hummed, running my gloved finger over the stone. “Why the bindi?”

“It’s a Styles family tradition,” she explained, taking me out of the closet and back into my bedroom. “Something that’s been passed down since the very, very beginning.”

“What does it mean?”

“No idea,” Lou shrugged, opening a long black box that was sat on the bed. “The last touch to your outfit, the family heirloom.” With a slow movement, she lifted a long rapier from the case. The golden handle caught the light from the open windows, glittering in the rays. It was sheathed, but I could still see the stunning silver blade from where the sheath didn’t quite meet the handle.

“I get a sword?” I stammered, letting my jaw drop.

“You don’t get to use it,” she quickly said, turning to me and slipping it into the sash. “It stays here the entire time.”

“Then why do I bother having it?” I pouted, setting my hand on the handle but not pulling it out.

“Once again, it’s an impression thing. Look commanding, and people respect you.”

“But-”

“No buts,” she hissed, gesturing towards the main door. “Come on, it’s almost time for the ceremony.”

“Already?” I mumbled to myself, following her out into the hall and, kicking the end of the sword a few times accidentally, found myself at the end of a queue.

“Alright Harry,” Lou sighed, holding my hands tightly. “This is it. The guy at the end of the line will call your name, you’ll descend the stairs, and then you join the rest of the Liberi. Then, you will begin the next chapter of your lives.”

“I’m scared, Lou,” I whispered, squeezing her smaller hands. “I’m really terrified.”

“You’ll do great,” she winked, stepping back. “I need to go get changed, but I’ll meet you down on the floor.”

As she walked away, I hissed, “why didn’t you tell me you were going to be there?”  

“ _Master Alonzo Rowson!_ ” came from the front of the queue.

My heart started racing. Here we go. We’re starting. Everything is starting. Things are moving way too fast.

“ _Lady Willow Balch!_ ”

People were beginning to step forward, and I could feel my heart in my throat.

“ _Master Davin Dutton!_ ”

Was it too late to leave? To get the hell out of this castle and to the nearest police station and get me home?

“ _Lady Katherine Hilman!_ ”

This was all Louis’ fault. If only he had chosen up to fuck up someone else’s life.

“ _Master Bradley Clemo!_ ”

I could be in bed with Nick, snuggling into his arms and laughing about something stupid. I could be happy right now!

“ _Lady Eden Hench!_ ”

The entire queue took a few steps forward, although mine were hesitant.

“ _Master Thomas Devall!_ ”

Tears stung at my eyes, although I quickly pushed at my tear ducts to keep them away. No. No tears.

“ _Lady Kasey Dwight!_ ”

Someone tapped on my shoulder.  
“Excuse me,” a girl whispered, causing me to turn around and face her. She was a rather pretty girl, with stunning blue eyes and long blonde hair.

“Yeah?” I replied, equally hushed.

“ _Master Niall Horan!_ ”

“I just wanted to say that we match,” she giggled, gesturing between our outfits. She was wearing a gold gown with purple accents, and, yeah, we did kinda match.

“So we do,” I grinned, relaxing slightly.

“ _Lady Zahra Iqbal!_ ”

“I’m Penelope,” she said, offering her hand.

“Harry,” I nodded, shaking our hands.

“ _Master Justin Finner!_ ”

“I’ve never seen you around before,” Penelope mumbled, stepping with me forwards. “Where do you live?”

“I’m from the outside,” I shrugged, adjusting my sword.

“ _Lady Alanis Dunlow!_ ”

“Really?” She exclaimed, lifting her hands to her face. “I’ve travelled a bit, where from?”

“Uh, Holmes Chapel, Manchester, England?”

“ _Master Keith Plass!_ ”

“I’ve been to England, but I went to London. Have you been there?” She brushed her fingers through her hair, detangling a few strands.

“Yeah, on a few school trips. It’s really kinda overwhelming,” I mumbled, finally able to see the front of the queue.

“ _Lady Eve Paskett!_ ”

“School trips?”

“Yeah, my 6th and 7th years did a lot of trips around England.”

“You’ve already been to school?”

“ _Master Zack Christon!_ ”

I looked at her hard. “You’ve never been to school?”

“This is our school, Harry!” She stammered, blinking rapidly.

“You mean, no one here has ever been to any type of class, ever?”

“ _Lady Yvette Bellock!_ ”

Penelope shrugged. “I took a class on weaving, but-”

“Weaving.”

“It’s a useful skill,” she hissed.

“ _Master Parker Christon!_ ”

“Of course it is,” I smirked.

“What sort of things did you learn?” The blonde asked, flattening her skin out.

“Maths, english, science, etc.”

“ _Lady Halie Fairall!_ ”

“Why did you need to learn english? Didn’t your parents speak it?”

“English class is like, writing and reading,” I sighed, focusing on her completely.

“ _Master Harry Styles!_ ”

Quickly startled backwards, I blinked a few times before stepping forward and hurrying down the stairs. There was a small crowd of people at the bottom, all staring up at me and oh my god I couldn’t do this. But I also couldn’t stop right here, where everyone was watching, and before I knew it, I was on the floor and hurrying to what looked to be the rest of the Liberi.

“ _Lady Penelope Edmund!_ ”

I spun on my heel, hitting my butt with the sheathed sword. The blonde girl descending on the stairs looked heavenly, with the light catching her golden dress and lilac lace. She looked like she was absolutely glowing.

“She’s prolly gonna be queen,” the boy next to me whistled, crossing his hands behind his head. “She’s just, wow.”

“You think?” I mumbled, glancing up at him.

“Yeah, totally,” he grinned, his irish accent causing me to relax slightly, for some reason I couldn’t quite understand. “‘M Niall.”

“Harry,” I said.

“Yeh, I saw you come down,” the blond beamed, turning to face me. “Y’looked good.”

“Oh, uh, thank you,” I blushed, redirecting my gaze to the ground. “Sorry, I wasn’t actually paying attention when you went down.”

He pouted slightly.

“But you look good now?” I offered, gesturing towards his stunning green robes. “The colors are good on your skin tone.”

“Thank you much,” Niall grinned, bowing theatrically.

“Harry!”

We both turned to see Penelope stepping over to me. “Penelope?” I asked, blinking a few times.

“How did I look?” she grinned, swaying her gown slightly.

“Absolutely amazing,” the blond boy blurted, cheekily grinning at the newcomer. “I’m Niall, of the Horan family.”

To my surprise, she turned her nose up (literally) and turned away from him slightly. “You may address me as Lady Edmund,” she huffed, before facing me. “Come on, Harry, let’s not bother with this- this _commoner_.” With that, the blonde took my arm, dragged me away from a now hurt-looking Niall, and stopped closer to a group of women, all in gorgeous gowns.

“That was rude,” I hissed to her, glancing back to the boy, who seemed to have moved on and was talking to another boy.

“He’s a Horan, we couldn’t be seen with him!” She let go of me to adjust her hair, before stepping to the gaggle of girls. “Hello girls,” she greeted, bringing me with her.

“Oh, Penelope,” one of the girls beamed, brushing her own black locks out of her face. “You looked stunning coming down that staircase.”

“Thank you, Katy darling,” the blonde giggled, wrapping herself around my arm again. “Have you girls met our dear Harry, of the _Styles_ Family?”

Almost instantly, the girls started squeeing and fanning themselves.

“ _The_ Styles family?” another one, a black woman with stunning red lips, whispered.

“Yeah, I guess,” I shrugged, blushing slightly. “I mean-”

“ _And_ he’s been living on the _outside_ ,” Penelope interrupted, fawning all over me. “Isn’t that so… exotic?”

“Where on the outside?” Yet another girl, with a gorgeous beige and pink headscarf that matched her long dress. “I’ve visited Scotland once-”

“You’re so pretty,” a ginger girl blurted, before slapping her lace-gloved hand over her mouth. “I mean, it’s just that, you know, you’re attractive?”

I felt my face heat up a ton, and, while mumbling a thank you, I glanced over my shoulder to find any reason to get out of there. My eyes immediately landed on a familiar figure in the opposite corner, and it barely took a second to recognize him completely. Louis. He was offering glasses of some sort of drink to an older crowd, but that wasn’t the first thing that caught my eye.

He was... captivating.

His light brown hair was styled upwards, glossy and vibrant. Even from the distance of the entire ballroom, the ocean blue colour of his eyes translated alluringly. The outfit he was wearing was nothing but neutral tones, being a beige tunic and cream-colored capri-like pants. He twisted ever so slightly and froze as he noticed me. His ever-pink lips pulled up into a cheeky smirk, ending with a wink before he turned away to continue offering drinks.

“Ugh, what a pervert,” Penelope groaned from besides me, causing me to quickly spin back forwards with a flushed face.

“W-who?” I stammered.

“That disgusting slut, the messenger,” she sighed, gesturing in Louis’ general direction. “He’s the pervert who has to go and ‘awaken’ us.”

“He’s so fat, too,” the girl in the headscarf hissed. “Did you girls actually get a chance to look at him? His stomach was hu-”

“Shut up,” I snapped, pulling my arm from the blonde and stepping back. “God, you girls are toxic.”

They were all stunned silent as I spun on my heel and stormed back to where Niall was stood. It took almost everything I had to calm myself down enough to talk to the boy, who was confused enough to say, “Did you just tell those girls off?”

“They were being rude.”

“To who?”

“The-” I paused, located Louis in the crowd, and then pointed to him. “Him.”

“The male messenger?” the blond snorted slightly. “It’s kinda hard not to be rude to him, he’s a total loser.”

“What the hell?” Surprised, I smacked his shoulder lightly. “Be nice, Niall, he’s a person too.”

“Yeah, but messengers are literally the scum of society,” he huffed, rubbing where I had hit him.

“Why?”

“Because they have sex with so many people,” Niall explained, gesturing towards the group of girls I had just left. “All of them, a few of those girls over there, and maybe even a guy or two.” He dropped his hand as one of the girls gave him a glare, but shrugged. “You, of course, know why that’s bad.”

“Uh…” I shook my head slightly. “I’m from the outside.”

“Really?” He beamed. “I’ve never been outside, but my parents lived in Ireland for years.”

“I could tell,” I laughed, gesturing towards my neck with one finger. “Your accent gave it away.”

With a grin, he said, “Anyways, in our world, we’re only supposed to have ‘ _intimate connections_ ’,” air quotes, “with two people: the messenger sent to awaken you, and your wife-slash-husband. The only exception is if you get remarried after being widowed or becoming a widower.”

“Why’s that?”

“Just something that we do,” he explained with a shrug. “We take it pretty seriously, as well. If it gets out that you even kissed someone you weren’t at least engaged to, you can get shunned pretty quickly.”

“So I’ve got to be completely sure about the rest of my life?” I swallowed forcefully, sticking my hands in my pockets. “That’s- that’s terrifying.”

“Yeah, I bet you anything that Lady Edmund was trying to hook you,” Niall laughed, nudging my hip with his elbow. “Her family’s pretty high status, but nothing like a Styles.”

“Alright, seriously,” I groaned. “Why is my family so famous? I’ve never even heard of this whole Eximius thing until like three days ago.”

“Well,” he hummed, crossing his hands behind his head again. “Supposedly, the very first of us was a Styles. No one’s really sure about it, but you guys were the first ones written about in our history.”

I looked at him for a moment with a perplexed face, before saying, “the first.”

“Yup.”

“Like, the _very_ first.”

“Number uno.”

“I’m a descendant of probably the first ever Eximius.”

“It’s very likely.”

“Bullshit,” I hissed, shaking my head. “Even if it was true, why would people want to ‘hook me’ as you said?”

“Because being a Styles is really high in society. Everyone caters to you,” Niall shrugged.

I was about to respond, when someone called out, “INTRODUCING, KING ISAIAH AND QUEEN ESMERALDA.”

Everyone, in unison, turned to the staircase, which trailed our eyes up to the balcony. There was a couple, who I assumed to be the King and Queen, waving down at the rest of us. He was blond, blue-eyed, and pale, with a stunning ivory suit that was snug against his body, topped off by a long cape. She, however, was a lovely black woman with a golden gown, flattering but still modest, with a golden cape hanging off her shoulders.

“Affamen, Liberi,” the Queen greeted, her red lips pulling into a smile. “Welcome to the Castle. As many of you know, this is the last year of our rule, after fifty long years looking after this kingdom.”

“Two of you will take our place,” the King continued. “And hopefully lead our kingdom into a new century. But with greatness, you will receive responsibility and stress.”

“In these next six months, each one of you will earn your mark, your role, and your power,” the Queen explained. “Every role we have is vital to the way we run our community, and everyone here will fill one of these roles.”

“No one is worth less than another, and no one is worth more- with one exception,” the King added. “We’ll meet her later. First, we feel blessed to introduce your instructors for the next six months.”

“In charge of teaching your combat and defense, we have General Liam Payne,” the Queen announced, gesturing towards a man who was now descending the stairs. His brown hair was slicked back, showing off a gentle face that didn’t quite seem to fit a soldier. He was wearing a military jacket, different from mine but still commanding, with a sword hanging off of his hip. He joined a small group of people in the middle of the ballroom as soon as he stepped off the stairs.

“For history and studies, we have Professor Zayn Malik,” the King boomed, and another man started down the staircase. With pure-black hair in a style that slightly resembled Nick’s and a beautiful black and purple outfit, he was breathtaking. Yet, at the same time, he seemed cold. No smile on his face, not even in his eyes. He didn’t look happy to be there. He just looked there.

“And last, but not least, in charge of Munus care, we have Lady Yasmine,” the Queen finished, nodding her head slightly towards the gorgeous dark-skinned woman slowly stepping down the staircase. Her black hair was beginning to grey at the roots, but still looked elegant in the low ponytail she had it pulled back in, tied up with a red ribbon. Her heels clacked against the tiled floor as she descended to the floor and joined the other two teachers. The men greeted her with warm hugs, before turning back to face the royalty.

“Now, we’re honored to introduce the most important, most respected, most powerful person in our Kingdom,” the King announced, taking the queen by the hand and taking a few steps away from the balcony. “Our lady, The Oracle!”

The rest of the Liberi went dead silent, and even Niall seemed to be speechless as a young woman stepped forward. Her long black hair was adorned with a golden circlet that dangled chains by her ears, and her thin figure was exaggerated by a beige corset with gold detailing. A ruffled skirt gave the illusion of large hips, and her arms were decorated with purple lace.

“Affamen, everyone,” she nodded, bowing slightly. “Today is the biggest day of your life. Use it well.”

With that, she turned away and, well, walked off.

I blinked a few times, before leaning into Niall and whispering, “that was… brief.”

“She’s really cold,” he responded, shrugging. “No one’s really heard more than two or three sentences from her at a time.”

“Maybe she’s shy,” I hummed to myself, watching the Queen return to the balcony.

“Please,” she smiled and gestured towards us all. “Socialize and enjoy each other.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be regular updates this month for sure, since it's NanoWrimo and I really want to get this story finished.

I flopped backwards onto the mattress and sighed. After several hours of warding off women and trying to hide from important people, I was absolutely exhausted. My eyes began to flicker closed, and I rolled onto my side. I hadn’t even bothered to get out of my costume, save for taking off the rapier, cape, and boots; I didn’t have enough energy.

“Hey beautiful,” came a soft murmur from just outside the curtains surrounding my bed, before they shifted and the mattress indented. “How are you doing?”

Reluctantly opening one eye to look at Louis, I groaned, “tired,” before resting on my stomach and burying my face into the fabric.

The stunning blue eyes crinkled as he grinned. A soft fingertip brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, followed by a pair of lips to the nape of my neck. “How are you adjusting?” He breathed against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

“I’m scared and confused,” I whispered into my pillow, hoping he didn’t hear me. “I want to go home,” I said a little louder, twisting my head to look at him.

His face fell slightly, but picked up again as he laid next to me. “It’s only a month of classes, then you can probably get out of here and go back to the outside.” His arm wrapped around my waist, rubbing small comfortable circles into the fabric. “I’ll be here to help you as much as I can, if you want.”

“I should be mad at you,” I huffed, rolling into his chest. God, he smelled so good, like vanilla and spices and I could stay here forever. “You drugged me and then kidnapped me.”

“So why aren’t you mad?” Louis cooed, playing with my hair.

“Because you’re the only person I can trust.”

“Why’s that?” He grinned, larger than previously.

“I don’t know, I just feel like you’re the only person who’s been fully honest with me the entire time,” I shrugged, nuzzling into the gentle fabric of his shirt. “Please stay honest.”

“I couldn’t lie to you,” he mumbled, slipping his arm under my chest and pulling me tight. “I feel terrible about stealing you from your normal life and your normal friends. If I could, I would take you back there right now.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Purely selfish reasons,” he chuckled. “I rather like my head being attached.”

“They’d…” I pulled far enough away to look into his eyes. “They’d kill you?”

He nodded, his caramel hair bouncing slightly. “I can’t take a Liberi from the grounds without permission, and especially not a Styles.”

“I don’t want to be a Styles anymore,” I blurted, furrowing my brows and pressing against his collarbones. “Everyone treats me like I’m some sort of god but I’m just a dumb kid with social anxiety.”

His fingers lightly massaged my scalp as he played with my hair. “You’re not just a dumb kid, Harry. You’re a dumb kid with a huge legacy riding on your shoulders, and people are going to expect a lot from you.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” I whispered, fighting back the tears that were pricking at my eyes.

“Just be you, and everyone else will adapt.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled into his shirt, closing my eyes and relaxing into his arms.

“Anytime,” he replied, rubbing my shoulder blade lightly.

After a few moments of this, I asked, “are you this nice to all of the Liberi?”

“Nah,” he shrugged, pressing his lips to my forehead quickly. “Only you.”

“Why?”

“You’re special, and you make me feel special,” Louis hummed.

“H-how am I special?”

“You were glowing.”

“And how do I make you feel special?”

He tilted my chin up with his thumb and forefinger, letting me see a small smile on his face. “I don’t know, but I like it,” the caramel-haired boy whispered, leaning forward until our lips brushed ever so slightly.

My hands slapped against his shoulders, pushing him away from me and forcing myself to sit up. “We- Louis, we shouldn’t-”

He blinked several times, frozen, before sitting next to me on the mattress with his back against the wall. “Alright.”

“I mean,” I stammered, clasping my fingers together. “I really want to, but Niall told me that I need to get engaged before I can do anything.”

Louis chuckled, setting his hand on my thigh. “I understand. What exactly did he say?”

“That if I have any, uh, ‘intimate connections’ with anyone but my future spouse and the messenger that I’ll get shunned from everything?”

“That’s true,” he nodded, patting my clothed leg. “And I’m the…?”

“You’re the messe- oh,” I stopped, feeling my face heat up. “So this- this is okay?”

“Yeah, Harry, it’s probably okay,” he  teased, tracing his fingers up my chest to my neck and lightly pulling me closer. “So, am I allowed to kiss you, Harry?”

“Please,” I choked, closing my eyes as our lips met. It was gentle, tasted like wine, and sent sparks of electricity down my spine. His thumb pressed into my cheek, his fingers dug into my scalp, his eyelashes brushed against my skin. I scooted closer, letting his other hand gather the fabric of the sash around my hips.

We kissed again, this time a little more desperate. And then again. And again. Louis pulled the laurel off of my curls and flung it onto the floor, before tangling his fingers into my locks. A little whine left my mouth, and his lips turned upwards into a grin as he pushed me onto my back.  

“Let’s get you out of this costume,” the caramel-haired boy mumbled, pulling the knot in the sash free. Agreeing desperately with a nod, I lifted my hips so he could strip the dark-grey pants off of my legs. “You’re so fit,” he breathed, ghosting his lips against my upper thighs, causing goosebumps.

“L-Louis,” I whimpered, digging my fingers into the sheets.

“Yeah, babe?” He quickly started on the buttons of the jacket, opening it much easier than I had put it on earlier.

“Do you- do you…” _do you like me?_

“Shh,” he smiled, pressing a kiss to my lips quickly. “I do. I won’t hurt you, ever.”

My lips turned up into a small smile. “Thank you.”

He removed the jacket and let it disappear from his hands; if I was any less turned on, I probably would’ve asked where he sent it.

“Your turn,” I grinned, tugging the hem of his tunic gently. He rolled his eyes, but lifted the shirt up over his head before tossing it off the side of the bed(letting it teleport to somewhere). I had to take a second to admire his torso; his slight hips, the barely-there pudge of his belly, his built upper arms. Visually, he was everything I’ve ever wanted, and he seemed to be the perfect boy personality-wise.

He slowly slipped the pants down his thick, muscled thighs and dropped them onto the floor, leaving him in just a thin pair of boxer briefs. It took everything I had not to jump him right there; instead, I clasped either side of his head and pulled him down onto me. Our lips met with passion, although our teeth clacked a little. Louis trailed his kisses from my mouth, down my jaw, the sweet spots of my neck, to my collarbones, and approaching my nipple when I brought him back to my face.

The kisses were deep, his tongue fighting it’s way into my mouth and mapping out every last crevice. He lifted my knees up onto his thighs, pressing our covered bulges against each other. I moaned quietly, earning a twitch from his cock.

“Fuck, Harry,” Louis breathed, rocking his hips back and forth. My eyes slammed shut, and it felt so good I couldn’t even comprehend it or make a complete thought and wow were those noises escaping _my_ mouth? “Harry, you look so good right now,” he moaned against my neck, grinding down against me.

“A-ah,” I choked, gripping the back of his head with one hand while running my other down his back slowly. “Louis, this- _ah..!_ ”

“This what?” he teased, biting the skin of my jaw.

“This feels so good,” I whined, hooking my ankles together behind his back. “B-but please… fuck me?”

A low groan vibrated against my skin as Louis brought his lips to mine, sucking my lower lip into his mouth and nibbling on the flesh. His hand snuck under my head and pulled me into an even deeper kiss while still rolling his hips. “Yeah,” he said, punctuated by a kiss. “I’ll fuck you so good that you won’t ever be satisfied with anyone else, ever.”

“A-ah,” I whimpered, arching my back slightly. “Thank you, Lou, thank you..!”

“Never did I ever imagine a _Styles_ would be thanking me for fucking him silly,” he teased, pulling up off of me to sit between my legs. “Although, when we’re alone together, you’re just Harry, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” I nodded, smiling shyly. “Just Harry.”

He grinned at me for a second, before leaning over and sucking my nipple into his mouth. His teeth barely brushed the sensitive nib, causing me to let out a loud whimper. Louis smirked while running his hands down my bare chest, stopping on my hips and playing with my waistband.  He paused, let go of my nipple, and whispered, “last chance to tell me no, sweetheart.”

“Please don’t stop,” I murmured, batting my eyelashes at him. “I want this so badly.”

He gave a teethy grin, before removing my underwear slowly down my thighs. My dribbling cock bounced against my tummy, relieved to be free from its confining fabric. “How pretty,” Louis hummed, pressing his lips to the vein on the underside of my dick. “So willing, so ready for me.” He peppered kisses over the tip. “May I have this?”

With lust-blown eyes, I whispered, “Do you want it?”

“Yes, I want it very, very much,” he winked, lowering his lips over the tip and sucking slightly.

“I-it’s yours,” I moaned, gripping the sheets underneath me. “Only yours.”

I could feel him swallow around my length, long and slow, before he pulled up off of me. “Only mine?”

“I-if you really want it, it’s all yours,” I nodded, nibbling on my lower lip.

“Then I’ll take it,” he smirked, wrapping his hand around my cock. “You have to get my permission before anyone else is allowed to see it.”

Closing my eyes, I let out a whimper and let my hair surround my head on the pillow. “Yes sir,” I whined, curling my toes in pleasure. “Whatever you want.”

“I want you to flip over,” he winked, letting go of my dick and scooting out of the way to give me some room. I quickly rolled onto my stomach, causing a little bit of friction of the fabric against my hard cock. “So obedient,” he chuckled, rubbing my bum. “Right, so I don’t have any lube.”

I swallowed forcefully. “O-okay.”

“I can, uh, go get some, or-”

“Just use your fucking spit,” I whimpered, pushing my bum up in the air. “Please, don’t leave me, just do it-”

“Alright, alright,” Louis laughed, pressing a soft kiss to my spine, right between my shoulderblades. I heard him spit, and, after a moment, my ass was spread apart and a finger prodded at my hole. “Relax, darling,” he whispered, slipping his finger in easily. Instantly, my ass tightened around the new object, causing my eyes to slam shut and tears to prick at my eyes. “What part of _relax_ don’t you understand?”

“I’m sorry,” I whined, flattening my face against the pillow while keeping my ass up. “This is only my second time and it’s really weird.”

“This is mine as well,” he ordered, spanking my bum rather hard. “You’ve got to ask before you let anyone look, touch, or fuck, your ass.”

“A-am I allowed to touch my own ass?”

“Hmmm,” he smirked, slipping a second finger in with the first. “I guess I can’t say no.”

“A-ah,” I cried as he scissored my hole. “T-thank you.”

“You’re so naive, Harry,” Louis hummed, removing his fingers to rest his slick cock against my entrance. “Get ready.”

“Yessir,” I moaned, digging my teeth into the pillow. The tip pushed through the ring of muscles, filling me up and stretching me past comfort. My eyes couldn’t decide if they wanted to slam shut or roll back into my head, and my hips jerked back against him, forcing him to bottom out.

“Yeah, god,” he hissed, setting one hand on my hip while using the other to hold himself up. “Damn, Harry, you’re so fucking tight.”

“Mmmm…” I whined, rolling my ass against him, causing his dick to hit the right places to get me all riled up. “Ah, ah…”

“You feel so good,” Louis mumbled, thrusting against my own movements. “I could do this forever.”

“I love the way your dick feels,” I admitted between moans, causing him to stutter his rhythm slightly.

“C-c’mere,” he stammered, obviously trying to regain his stature. He slipped his hand under my chest, pulling me up away from the pillows until my back was flat against his chest. It definitely changed the pleasure; not bad, just different. His lips pressed against the nape of my neck and he sped up his thrusts, rolling it ever so slightly as to hit the bundle of nerves I had forgotten existed.

I couldn’t control my gasps and cries as he repeatedly hit my prostate, causing my cock to dribble and leak all over the bedsheets. My back arched, my arms shook, my jaw dropped open. “Fuck,” I whined, my voice hoarse and strained. “Louis, I’m gonna-!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he chanted, pressing kisses to my temple and cheeks from behind. “Yeah, you look so good, cum for me, yeah.”

“Oh, _louislouislouislouislouisLOUIS_ ,” I cried, digging my fingers into the sheets as I shot cum all over them.

My ass clenched, earning a groan and causing his rhythm to shake and slowly stop. “Mmm,” he mumbled, coming down from his high. “ _Harry_.”

My body trembled slightly, but I waited until he drew his cock out of my hole to collapse onto the mattress again. His warm sticky cum dripped from my asshole, slowly trickling down against the skin. It cooled slightly every little bit that it moved, tickling the flesh there.

“You’re glowing,” Louis whispered, running his fingers through my hair.

I lifted my hand in front of my face but no, there was no light coming from my body at all.

“I meant that you look stunning,” he teased, laying down next to me. “You look so peaceful, lying there like that.”

“Thank you, Louis,” I hummed, closing my eyes and relaxing into his presence. “Are you gonna stay the night, or are you gonna leave me again?”

“I have to be back in my dorm by Midnight, or else-” he drug his finger against his throat- “Off with my head.”

“Why’s that?” I wondered, rolling onto my side and wrapping my arm around his neck to pull him closer.

“I’ll be marked as _Missing in Action_ and considered committing treason.”

“Holy shit,” I whispered, rolling my eyes. “That sounds like full bullshit.”

He chuckled quietly, before clasping my neck with one hand and holding my waist with the other. “Hey,” he murmured into my jaw.

“Hey,” I replied against his earlobe.

“Earlier you said you, uh, _loved_ my dick,” he stammered, his face heating up against my skin. “Did you, y’know, mean that?”

“Yeah,” I hummed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I love your dick, and I love your thighs, and I love your entire body.”

“You, uh, do know what love is, right?”

“It’s like a deep caring for someone, right?”

Louis let out a relieved sigh. “No, Harry, not here. Love means that you want to be with that person forever, and you would kill yourself for that person, and it’s the do-all, end-all to life.”

I blinked at him a few times.

“Harry, if you tell someone that you love them, they either have to marry you or kill you.”

Flabbergasted, I exclaimed, “what? Really?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, a laugh in his voice. “I’m assuming that it doesn’t mean that in your world.”

“No, no,” I shook my head, before hiding my face in his hair. “I love you is like, a general phrase of endearment. Like, _I love your shoes_ , or _See you later, love you_.”

“So what do you guys say when you really love someone?” He mumbled, peppering kisses to my jaw.

“We tell them we love them,” I shrugged. “And, when it comes from the right person, it means the whole world.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, wrapping the blanket around our bare bodies.

“So how do you guys tell each other you care about them, without being murdered?”

“Diligo,” Louis whispered into my ear.

My face flushed against his cheek, because, even though he was just answering my question, it felt like more. “D-diligo?”

“Yeah.”

“Like, I diligo you?”

“Nah, just diligo.”

“Louis?” I whispered, pulling far enough away from him to look him dead in the eyes.

“Yeah?” He responded, smiling slightly.

“Diligo.”

His jaw dropped slightly as his eyes widened, before they translated into a smile. “C’mere,” Louis ordered, tangling his fingers in my hair to pull me closer. We kissed again, softer than any time previously, causing our chests to brush and our legs to interlock. “Diligo,” he breathed into the kiss.

We kissed for another few minutes, before he pulled off to kiss my nose and forehead. “Diligo, beautiful.”

“Louis,” I murmured, tucking back into his arms. “What are we?”

“You’re a Liberi, and I’m the lucky messenger who woke you up,” he cooed, twirling my locks around his fingers.

“Oh,” I whispered, closing my eyes. It wasn’t the answer I was looking for, and it caused a little bit of disappointment deep in my gut.

We breathed in each other for a few minutes, Louis holding me tight while I played with the hairs tickling the back of his neck.

“Sodalis,” he said under his breath as I was on the verge of falling asleep. “That’s what I want us to be.”

“Mmm?” I mumbled sleepily.

“It’s nothing, Harry,” he chuckled slightly. “Et dormi. Go to sleep.”

Nodding into his neck, I let myself fall asleep.

 


	7. Chapter 7

My eyes struggled to blink open as kisses were being dropped over my collarbone and chest. “M-mmm?” I giggled, lifting my hands up to the head of the person there.

“Don’t worry,” the boy murmured into my neck. “You have a few more hours of sleep.”

“Lou?” I mumbled, twirling his hair between my fingers. “What are you doing? I thought- you had to be back by midnight?”

“It’s the morning, babe- It’s almost four a.m.,” he chuckled, lifting his lips to mine. “I have a really busy day today, and this is really the only time I had to give you a good morning kiss.”

I had to chew my lip to hold back the smile that was growing there. “So, you woke me up at ungodly in the morning to give me a kiss?”

“That is exactly what I did,” he agreed, pecking my lips again. “I have a minute, if you want me to rock you back to sleep.”

“Yes please,” I hummed, closing my eyes and loosely wrapping my arms around his shoulders. Lips peppered over my jaw and earlobe, as a hand lightly massaged my scalp. “Dili-whatever,” I mumbled, tilting my head to one side to kiss him.

“Diligo, sleeping beauty,” Louis whispered, connecting our lips one last time before I fell asleep again.

-

“-Yles, Master Styles.”

Scrunching my face, I rolled onto my side and huffed. It definitely _wasn’t_ time for me to get up.

“Master Styles, it’s time for you to get up.”

With a groan, I opened one eye and mumbled, “no.”

“If you want to have breakfast before classes start, you need to get out of bed,” Paul said, standing on the other side of the canopies. “Breakfast this morning is your choice of hot cakes, crepes, or eggs. Which sounds best?”

“Uh, crepes, I guess,” I yawned, sitting up slowly. The blanket slipped off my shoulders, revealing my bare torso; Quickly, my arm shot up to cover myself. “S-sorry.”

“No worries,” he laughed. “I used to sleep naked when I was your age, as well.”

“Well, uh, is the bath drawn?” I blushed, lifting my knees to my chest.

“Yes sir,” Paul nodded. “I can get some washers if you’d like.”

My mind flashed back to the night previous; I would need Louis’ permission before they could see me naked. “N-no, thanks, I can wash myself.”

“Alright. I’ll be waiting out in the front den, when you’re done.”

“Err, Paul?” I bit my lip embarrassed. “I don’t actually have anything to wear. Is there stuff in the closet?”

“Yes, all the clothing you could ever need,” he said with a smile. “Be quick about it, breakfast is in 15 minutes.”

“Thank you,” I called as he left the room. After taking a deep breath, I swung my legs off the side of the bed and stood; every single one of my joints popped as I straightened up. “Owww,” I whimpered under my breath, before waddling over to the bathroom. Dipping my toe into the water, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the water was at the perfect temperature; must have some magic spell on it. I lowered myself into the soapy water and let out a quiet, involuntary moan. It felt just absolutely amazing. Leaning back against the wall, I stretched out my legs to relax; the heat relaxed all my sore parts from the night previous.

I closed my eyes and thought of Louis; what was that word he had used? Sodonali? Sodanalis? Something like that. “I wonder what it means,” I whispered into the silence, before taking a deep breath and dunking my head under the water. My hair flickered around my head, drifting back and forth from the ripples. After a second, I sat back up and released the breath, but got smacked by the wet curls against my forehead. With another yawn, I used a sponge from the edge of the tub and began to scrub my arms and chest; I wanted to get myself as clean as possible before the classes started for two reasons: 1) to make a good impression, and 2) so I wouldn’t smell like sex.

A bit of a shame, really, since sex smelled alright, as long as it was sex with Louis. While biting my lip shyly, I trailed one hand down my tummy to my semi-hard cock, before wincing away. “I don’t have permission,” I mumbled to myself, standing up and reaching for a towel. If I stayed in the water any longer, I would miss breakfast for sure.

I dried myself off quickly, before stepping into the walk-in closet. After pulling out some underwear and slipping it on, I found a pair of black pants and a large button-down in beige. That was appropriate for the first day of school, right? They hadn’t given us any uniforms, and I had never gone to a school without one, so this was close enough, right?

After staring at myself in the mirror for a minute or so, I left the closet and followed the doors until I was in the den.

“Ah, Master Styles,” Paul greeted, standing from the couch he had been sitting on. “You look very nice.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, smoothing down the front of my shirt. “Shall we head to breakfast?”

“Yes, let me escort you,” he nodded, gesturing towards a long corridor. One of these days I would have to learn the castle, just so I could get around without being lost.

“Paul?”

“Yes, Master Styles?”

“What does, um,” I paused to make sure I was remembering it right. “What does Sondonoli mean?”

“I’m not sure I know that word,” he replied, leading me down a set of stairs.

“Uh, maybe it’s Sodani or something? I don’t remember it exactly,” I admitted, staring at my feet as I shuffled through the building behind him.

“Was it sodalis?”

“Yes!” I exclaimed, hurrying to walk next to him. “What does sodalis mean?”

“Well, it’s sort of like pre-uxor, which comes before nuptiae,” he shrugged, opening a set of double doors to reveal a large room, full of the other Liberi. “Enjoy your breakfast, Master Styles.”

“Uh, thanks,” I stuttered, taking a few steps in before he closed the door behind me. The room was quiet as everyone gazed at me with awe- at least, almost everyone.

“Harry!” Niall called from his seat near the back. “Come sit by me!”

With a soft sigh of relief, I hurried to the chair beside him. “How’d you sleep?” I asked, setting my hand on his shoulder.

“Like a baby,” he answered through a mouth of food. “The mattress in my room is fuckin’ brilliant. And you?”

“Really well,” I hummed, stretching slightly. I was about to sit down when someone latched onto my arm.

“Good morning Harry,” Penelope’s sweet voice sang, causing me to turn to look at her. “I saved you a seat by me, if you want.”

“Uh, Penelope,” I swallowed, before gesturing to Niall. “I’m actually gonna sit here today. Thank you for thinking of me, tho-”

“Why would you want to sit by a Horan?” She sneered, tugging me towards her seat. “Come on, you’re a Styles, you should sit by people who are worth your time and energy.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the blond boy, who looked hurt, but shrugged at me as I was dragged away. Catching his eye, I mouthed out the words, _Help Me_ , which seemed to get him at least a little happier.

She gestured towards her chair, and then looked at me expectantly. While rolling my eyes, I pulled out her seat, waited for her to get situated, then pushed her in.

“You’re such a gentleman, Harry,” she giggled, not even noticing my silent groan as I plopped into the seat next to her. “So how did you sleep? Did you have any dreams?”

“Uh,” I shrugged, glancing around the room at anyone but her. “I slept fine. I have a really nice bed, and my comforter is really soft. No dreams, but I never dream. What about you?”

She batted her eyelashes at me, adjusting her cream skirt. “My room is really too big, I wish I could have a roommate. Oh! And I had a dream about you last night,” she continued, biting her lip in an attempt to flirt. “You were swimming at the beach, and every few minutes you went underwater to pick up a pearl for me. I was just sitting at the shore, waving to you every time you popped up with one.”

“Oh my god,” I mumbled under my breath. “Is that so?” I said louder, turning to smile at her. “How nice.”

“Yeah,” Penelope giggled, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Maybe one day you and I could go to the beach together! It’s really beautiful this time of year.”

“In the middle of November?”

“November?”

“Yeah, that’s what this month is called on the outside. It’s one of the coldest months of the year,” I explained, pausing briefly to thank the waiter for handing me a plate with my crepe. “Do you guys use months?”

“Yeah, but we only have four,” she shrugged, before counting each on her fingers: “Orem, Ip, Nyx, and Surx. Orem is the cold month, Ip is the month of beginnings, Nyx is the hot month, and Surx is the month of endings.”

“So the four seasons,” I hummed between bites of the most delicious chocolate crepe I had ever had.

“Tell me more about those,” she smiled, leaning on one hand towards me.

“Well, uh, we have Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn as our four seasons,” I explained, wiping a bit of chocolate off my lower lip. “The official science research says that the Earth’s axis tilt causes them, but Greek mythology has one of my favorite explanations: the story of Persephone.”

“What is that?” One of the other boys asked, and I noticed for the first time that a few people were listening in.

“Uh, the story of Persephone? It’s a myth, y’know, legend. Not real,” I blushed, shrugging slightly. “Do you want to hear it?”

“Do tell,” Penelope giggled, setting her hand on my forearm; I quickly pulled away.

“Well, uh, Persephone is the daughter of the Goddess Demeter, who watched over harvest and fertility. One day, Persephone was wandering around, plucking flowers, when Hades, the God of the underworld, came up and fell in love with her instantly,” I told, gesturing with every word. “He took her to Hell, where he kept her captive. Meanwhile, on Earth, Demeter was depressed, no longer with her daughter. The plants wilted, the Earth turned to ice, then she heard what Hades had done.

“Quickly, she descended to the underworld and found her daughter. They embraced and cheered, but all too soon; for Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and, every year for the rest of time, she would spend six months down in Hell with Hades”

“How sad,” One of the other girls muttered, sighing softly. “To be stuck with that monster.”

“Or so you think,” I grinned, turning to face her. “In truth, Persephone had come to love Hades, and didn’t want to leave Hell. Yet, she couldn’t leave her mother forever, so Hades offered her the seeds and explained what they would do. She happily ate the seeds, and every Spring- or, every Ip, I guess- she came back to Earth to tell the story of rebirth and hope.”

“That’s really romantic,” Penelope sighed, batting her eyes at me. “Is that the reason that the weather changes every month- or, rather every human season?”

“No, no,” I shook my head, chuckling. “Like I said, it has to do with the Earth’s axis tilt and orbit, or something like that.”

“You’re really smart, Harry,” the blonde giggled, setting her hand on my thigh, causing me to tense slightly.

“I’m gonna go talk to Niall,” I stammered, quickly standing and rushing back to the blond boy.

“Hey, you decided to rejoin us commoners,” he laughed, taking his feet off of a chair. “Sit down, mate.”

“Thanks,” I sighed, waving at the boys who were sitting on the other side of him. “I’m Harry.”

“David,” the boy with the shaved head offered, nodding back.

“Keith,” the long-haired one mumbled into his mug. “So you’re the one flirting with the Edmund girl?”

“Try being flirted to,” I groaned, setting my head on the table. “I really don’t know what the fuck she wants from me.”

“She wants your last name, mate,” Niall laughed, clapping my shoulder. “She wants your last name and your status.”

“She can have it,” I mumbled quietly, before shaking my head. “I don’t want to do anything with her.”

“Are you kidding?” David scoffed. “She’s the prettiest girl this year.”

“Pretty means nothing when the girl’s a bitch to my friends,” I shrugged, setting my hand on Niall’s shoulder.

He snaked his arm around my shoulders and drew me into a tight hug. “You really think I’m your friend?” He cheered, rocking back and forth.

“Yeah, I mean,” I blushed, setting my head on his shoulder. “That’s okay, right?”

“Yeah!” the blond beamed, releasing the hug but kept his arm around me. “I can’t wait to tell my dad that I’m friends with a Styles-”

“I’m more than my last name,” I interrupted, furrowing my brows. He didn’t respond further than dropping his jaw a little, so I stood from the seat and moved towards the door. Just as my hand reached for the handle, the large wooden set of doors opened to reveal Louis.

My heart stopped as he quickly glanced me over, then said, “My apologies for startling you, Master Styles.” He bowed his head to me, letting his caramel brown hair drop slightly. I was frozen, taking in his cold demeanor; despite how formal he was being, I still wanted to wrap my arms around him and kiss him silly. Not to mention how his outfit- a tight long-sleeve black shirt with a cream pair of pants- made him look absolutely irresistible.

“That’s, uh, that’s okay,” I stammered, feeling my face flush a bright red.

Louis nodded to me once more, before announcing, “All Liberi, please follow me to your first lesson.”

With some shuffling, the students stood up and gathered towards where I was frozen. Someone grabbed my hand as Louis turned to lead us, causing me to snap out of my trance.

“Come on, Harry,” Penelope giggled, taking a few steps forward and dragging me with her. “I wanna get a good seat next to yours!”

“Penelope,” I groaned, stepping slowly behind her. “What’s our first class?”

“Munus care,” she hummed. “What do you think yours will be?”

“Uhh,” I shrugged. I still wasn’t quite sure what a munus even was. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more feedback(good or bad) I get, the more motivated I am to write. (hint, hint...)

I plopped down on a seat in the back of the class, and was relieved to see that there were pens and papers on the desk already. The blonde girl slid into the chair next to me, rested her chin in her hand, and giggled.

“Isn’t this so nice?” She said flirtily, with a flutter of her eyelashes. “You and I, sitting together?”

“Yeah, totally,” I drawled sarcastically, picking up a pen and writing _Munus_ across the top of a piece of paper. “It’s nice to have a friend.”

She pouted slightly before whispering, “Is that all I am to you?” Her free hand slid onto mine, squeezing slightly. “Just a friend?”

Uncomfortable, I pulled away from her touch and glanced up; Louis was standing at the front of the room, gazing at the group of us. Our eyes met, and he instantly averted his gaze, trying (and failing) to hide the emotion in there.

“Eww, was he staring at us?” Penelope hissed under her breath to me. “That _pervert_ is the scum that took my- oh, well, you know.”

I turned to look at her. Her nose was scrunched up as if she had smelled something foul, and she was covering her mouth with her hand. “Why does that make him a pervert?”

“Because he has sex with so many people,” she explained with an air of superiority. “Who knows what sort of gross germs he has on his you-know-what?”

“I’m sure he cleans himself,” I sighed, tapping the pen against the paper. “It’s not like he’s going around having sex with everything and everyone he sees.”

“Maybe he is,” she gasped, shuddering.

“Doesn’t he have to find a wife? Why would he fuck around?”

She laughed loudly, covering her mouth as she did so. “Oh Harry, you’re so funny!” She giggled. “The male messenger has always married the female messenger- that’s the only person that they can get, with their slutty ways.”

Slowly turning to look back at the caramel-haired man, I felt my heart drop. I suppose that’s his destiny. “That’s a shame,” I murmured.

“What?”

Forcing a fake smile, I said, “I’m sure that someone would care for them for who they are, if there wasn’t so much stigma attached to their role.”

“You’re weird, Harry,” Penelope sighed, shaking her head slightly. “No one even wants to go near the messengers, let alone get to know them.”

“Maybe I should,” I hummed, shrugging my shoulders.

“But,” she objected, grabbing my arm. “They’re so _dirty_.”

“My best friend on the outside had a different boy every weekend,” I explained, thinking back to Nick’s many conquests. “He wasn’t dirty.”

In awe, she whispered, “You were friends with a slut?”

“Yeah, and he was the most brilliant guy I ever knew,” I nodded, trying hard to keep from looking at Louis. “I miss him.”

“A… a gay?”

I stared at her for a long moment, completely dumbfounded. “Yeah, he’s gay…?”

“You knew an actual gay?” Her bright blue eyes were wide. “What did he look like?”

“I, uh, what?” I said in disbelief. “Gay people look just like everyone else.”

“So…” Penelope lowered her voice and leaned in. “ _Anyone_ in this class could be _gay_?”

“That is how it works,” I nodded, trying to keep from laughing. “Is there something wrong with gay people?”

“I’ve never met one before,” she admitted, playing with her fingers. “What are they like?”

“They’re exactly like everyone else,” I sighed, resting my chin on my hand. “The only difference between a gay person and a straight person is what gender they like.”

“That’s so… strange,” she hummed, shuddering slightly. “How on earth do they- how do two guys have sex? And, uh, how would two girls?”

Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose and groaned. “Two dudes do it through anal, and I guess the girls just finger each other. I don’t know, I’ve never done it,” I lied. What would she say if she knew? Not that I really cared what she thought, but I wondered what others might say.

“Would you ever, ever, ever have sex with another guy?”

I stared at her for a long time, before shrugging. “Maybe. Maybe if I, y’know, liked him. What about you, would you have sex with another girl?”

With a disgusted look on her face, she yelled, “Ew, no way!”

Laughing, I caught a glance at Louis; he was gazing in my direction with a raised eyebrow. “You yelled that so loud,” I whispered, shaking my head slightly. “People are staring.”

“I’m sorry,” she huffed, crossing her arms. “I barely want to look at my own, let alone another girl’s.”

I was about to respond when the door slammed open, causing everyone to jump and stare at the woman who just stormed in. I noticed in passing that Louis had disappeared, but I was too focused on the almost-topless black woman making her way to the desk at the front of the room.

“Good morning, class,” she boomed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. “Today you’re going to be learning the basics of Muni and how they develop.”

The entire class was silent, taking in her appearance; it wasn’t everyday that a teacher came in, only wearing a bikini top and skinny pants. I mean, it looked amazing on her, but it was strange to see.

“Paint a painting, it’ll last longer,” she snorted, gesturing to her body. “The only reason I’m wearing this today is to show an example of a Munus, alright? Now pick your jaws up off the floor, I’m still your teacher. I’m Lady Yasmine, and I expect to be addressed with respect.”

Nodding attentively, I started writing on the piece of paper: _Lady Yasmine, no limitations_.

“First thing you all need to know, is that the Muni are always different,” she started, writing on the board with chalk. “Like raindrops, no two are exactly the same. Even if two people have the same role, their Munus will be in different places, or with slightly different strokes. For example, this is mine,” she offered, turning one arm towards us to show off a rune, etched into her skin. “This stands for Education. Your other teacher, Mr Malik, has a similar one on his calf.”

“What about General Payne?” Niall asked from the front of the room.

“He has a Munus on his shoulder blade that looks a little bit like this,” she answered, drawing a rune on the board. “This stands for War or Battle. He is, after all, the head of our country’s strong military. Our King and Queen’s runes match,” she drew a rune that looked vaguely like a crown, “and our current royalties’ are residing on their hands.”

Penelope whispered, “how romantic,” which distracted me from my page of notes briefly.

“And of course, we all know the Oracle’s Munus: it’s printed on every ceremonial banner,” she drew a circle on the board. “Simple, yet empowering, this Munus represents the Sun, the Earth, the Stars, and the Crystal Ball that’s been passed down through generations. It also represents an egg, which is, of course, the sign of new beginnings. This is the widely accepted reason that the Oracle has always been a woman, since women produce eggs-”

“Yeah, but guys have balls!” One of the guys yelled from the back of the class, earning snickers from his classmates.

“Thank you very much for that informative lesson, Mister…?”

“Tommy Devall, at your service,” he grinned, bowing slightly at his desk.

“Well, Mister Devall,” Lady Yasmine smiled, fluttering her eyelashes. “You’ve just earned yourself the lucky chance to be an example. Get up here.”

He stood from his seat, which was only a few seats from mine, and strutted to the front. “How may I help you?” He said cheekily.

The black woman took him by the hair, and pulled it back until Tommy let out a little cry. “This, dear Liberi,” she said with a grin. “Is what happens when you disrespect me in my classroom.” She let go of his hair while forcing him forward, causing him to collapse over her desk. “Get back to your seat, and stay quiet.”

“Y-yes Ma’am,” he sniffled, rubbing the back of his head while hurrying back to his seat. The rest of the class was absolutely stunned, staring at the teacher while she picked up the piece of chalk again.

“Alright, so,” Lady Yasmine started again, as if nothing had actually happened. “Muni appear in different places all over the body. Here-” she drew a simple outline of a person- “is the basic human body. The closer the Munus to the heart center-” she tapped the chalk against the chest, where the heart would be- “The stronger the power.”

“Um,” I said, raising my hand. “Lady Yasmine? Has anyone ever had their Munus directly on their heart?”

She rolled her eyes, before explaining, “I don’t plan to fill your heads with stories, but the legends tell that the very first Eximius had his right over his heart. Of course, no one can prove it, and the stories have probably been exaggerated.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled, trying to be overly polite to the scary lady.

“You boy, what’s your name?” She continued, pointing straight at me.

“I’m, uh, Harry,” I whimpered, clutching my pen tighter.

“Harry what?”

“Harry Styles.”

“Ah, the Styles boy,” the black woman hummed, before gesturing to her side. “Please, come up here. I can use you as an example as well.”

I could feel my face pale. Oh no. Oh no no no. Now she was going to hurt me, and I was going to start crying, and then nobody would respect me ever again. Trembling, I got to my feet and stumbled to the front.

Her hand reached towards me, and I winced back; to my surprise, her hand simply gathered the fabric at the bottom of my shirt and lifted it halfway up my stomach. “As you can see, class,” She offered, pointing at the **X** on my belly. “Styles here has the same Munus as all of you, in approximately the same place.”

Releasing the breath I had been holding, I mumbled, “why? Don’t we all have different ones?”

“This is the Munus that everyone starts with. When you learn your role, yours will change to reflect that. Be careful though,” she warned, letting my shirt drop. “The awakening will hurt.”

“More than it did when this one appeared?”

“Much, much more.”

I swallowed nervously; I never really did have a tolerance for pain.


	9. Chapter 9

After the class had ended, a stunning brown-haired woman appeared at the door, claiming she was to take us outside to the next class. Lady Yasmine sat down at her desk and opened up a book, and I stepped up to her as the rest of the Liberi exited.

“Um, Ma’am,” I mumbled, folding the piece of paper I had been taking notes on. “I was wondering something.”

She glanced up at me with tired eyes, before sighing out, “you’re the Styles boy, yeah? What is it?”

“Can anyone become any role?”

“Yeah,” she nodded with a soft smile. “Although we tend to follow in our parent’s footsteps.”

“Oh,” I murmured, looking down at my feet.

“Don’t worry, boy,” she chuckled. “Your dad was a Healer, but your grandmother was Queen. You’ll probably be royalty, and have one of the best lives of us all.”

“Harry, come on!” Penelope yelled from behind me. “We’re gonna lose the group!”

“And she’ll probably be your queen,” Lady Yasmine winked, before gesturing to the door. “Don’t be late, General Payne likes to spar with the tardy kids.”

“Thank you,” I bowed, before turning and running to catch up with the rest of the Liberi.

“What was that about?” the blonde girl huffed, crossing her arms as we walked next to each other.

“I was just asking about roles and whatever,” I yawned, slipping the paper into my pant pocket. “I mean, I’m from the outside so I don’t know anything.”

“You could’ve asked me,” she offered, almost skipping down the stairs in front of me. “I would enjoy tutoring you.”

“Thanks,” I shrugged, following her outside to the garden, where a man was standing with one hand on his hip, and the other holding a sword over his shoulder.

“Hello everyone,” he called, a smile spreading across his lips. Everyone sort of greeted him back, while I glanced around the yard; the woman who had led us had also disappeared. “I’m General Liam Payne, although you all can call me Liam.”

“He’s cute,” Penelope giggled, holding her hands in front of her skirt.

I shrugged slightly. He certainly wasn’t _bad_ looking.

“I know a lot of you are thinking, _my role probably won’t even use a sword_!” he mocked, raising his voice jokingly. “But trust me. In case of a war, every single Eximius should know how to protect themselves and their country.”

Leaning in to Penelope, I whispered, “what’s the chance of us having a war?”

“Not good,” she responded, shrugging slightly.

“So today,” Liam continued, adjusting his blue tank top to fit his chest a little better. “I’m going to pass out wooden training swords, and everyone will split into pairs, and then I’ll assess your individual fighting skills.” He set down his own sword, which was metal, and gathered a large pile of wooden blades, before handing one to every Liberi. My hand trembled as I took mine from him, terrified to be touching a weapon for the first time.

“Harry, be my partner!” Penelope giggled, holding her sword comfortably.

“A-alright,” I whimpered, shaking as I lifted my blade up.

“Go easy on me!”

“You too,” I begged, and, before I could react, she charged me.

Her actions were fast, slicing from side to side, and it was all I could do to keep from getting hit. Even though it was wood, I was scared shitless of contact. With footwork like I had never seen before, she slowly, but surely, got closer and closer with every strike.

“W-wait,” I cried out, desperately grasping at the handle of my own blade. Wasn’t it obvious how much worse I was? Why wasn’t she stopping? “Penelo-”

My foot slipped out from underneath me, and the blade slipped out of my hand. I hopelessly tried to reach behind, to soften my fall on the grass, but as soon as I took my eyes off of the blonde girl, her sword struck my temple. My vision flashed white, and I collapsed.

-

Louis POV

Hearing “ _Messenger, please_ ,” in my head, I blinked my eyes shut and teleported myself to Liam, who had called. I arrived in the back garden, where a small group of students had gathered around a seemingly-unconscious body.

“Li,” I greeted, stepping forwards. “What happened?”

“He got knocked out,” the brown-haired man sighed, waving the rest of his students away. “Come on guys, give him a little space.”

With a soft groan, I knelt next to my best mate, and froze when I noticed who it was. Immediately, I knew what I should do; pick Harry up and cuddle him until he was better, yet I knew that I couldn’t. Blood was slightly trickling down his forehead from a small wound, barely an inch long.

“What happened?” I managed, fighting the urge to start swinging punches at everyone.

“It was m-my fault,” a girl sobbed, resting her face on her friend’s shoulder. “I th-thought he was pretending to be terrible at this to make me feel better, b-but then…”

I was pissed, but I couldn’t do anything to her; she was an _Edmund_. “I’ll take him to the healers,” I sighed to Liam, before gently resting my hand on the unconscious boy’s shoulder. With a simple blink, I sent us both to the infirmary. His body rested back on the bed, as just a little drop of blood threatened to drip off his face- I caught it on my finger, before wiping the droplet off on a tissue.

“Is someone here?” A woman called, stepping into the room. “Oh, Louis.”

“Hey Maria,” I greeted, gesturing towards Harry. “He got injured during combat class.”

“Tsk,” she huffed, rolling her eyes and stepping closer to us. “I always tell Liam not to use real blades on the first day.”

“To be fair, they _were_ wooden.”

“Those can cause serious trauma,” she hummed, running her fingers over the open wound. “Hopefully he hasn’t got any brain damage from the strike.”

“Yeah,” I sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed.

“So which boy is this?”

“Master Harry Styles,” I mumbled, trying and failing to tear my gaze from the curly-haired boy. His face was almost flawless right now, with a light blushing over his temple where he got hit. “He’s expected to become King this year.”

“Well then, let’s pray it was just a bump,” Maria laughed, finally taking her hand from him. The wound was healed, save for a slight discoloration. “He’ll have a bit of a headache when he wakes up, but that should be it. Would you tell him as soon as he’s conscious?”

“Y-yeah,” I stammered, nodding to her. “Thanks.”

She waved at me as I closed my eyes once more, and then we were in his bedroom. The room was illuminated from the windows on either wall, casting gentle shadows on his features. He let out a little whimper in his sleep, shuffling his feet against the blanket.

“Thank god,” I mumbled, leaning over him and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “I was so scared when I saw you laying there- what on Earth would I do without you?”

No response.

Still worried about him, I blinked my eyes shut and teleported to Liam.

“Gah!” he exclaimed, startled from my sudden appearance. “What the fuck!”

“I just wanted to let you know that Master Styles will be resting for the rest of your lesson,” I explained. “He’ll be back tomorrow, however, so _please_ don’t hit him again.”

“Thanks, Lou,” he smiled, turning back to his class. I bowed slightly, as per custom, before sending myself back to the bedroom. The boy hadn’t moved at all.

“Oh Harry,” I sighed, crawling into bed next to him and setting his head on my shoulder. He smiled ever so slightly, still asleep, although as if to let me know he appreciated it. “I never want to see you hurt like that again.”

He rolled closer with a soft ‘ _mmm_ ’, and I buried my face into his hair.

“Diligo, Harry,” I mumbled, pressing kisses along his crown. “I don’t even know how you managed to do this, but you make me feel more and more… _loved._ ”

The boy dug his fingers into my shirt, holding onto me relentlessly.

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t say that word- but it means something completely different in your world, yeah?” I murmured into his forehead, lightly pressing a kiss to the discoloration. “Ugh. How do you do this? How do you make me want to- want to dream? I feel like a child, dreaming about the perfect woman- or, I guess, man- that I could only get in my wildest imagination.”

Harry let out a little huff of air against my neck, flicking a bit of my hair up.

“I’m a messenger, Harry,” I sighed, pressing my lips to his hairline. “Not just that, but I’m a _Tomlinson_. I don’t get people like you- high status, attractive, and caring. I get other messengers.”

“Mmmm…” he murmured, before his eyes flickered open slightly. “Lou…?”

“Good morning, darling,” I whispered, catching his lips gently. “How are you feeling?”

His eyebrows furrowed, and he ran his finger over my cheek. “Why’re you crying?” He mumbled, wiping a tear that I didn’t even notice was there away.

“I’m-?” I paused, letting go of him just long enough to dab at my eyes. There actually was wetness there, and I wiped it away completely. “Sorry, I don’t really know what that was about- I guess I was just worried about you.”

“Oh, babe,” Harry cooed sleepily. “I’m fine, just a little bit of a headache.”

“Yeah, I know, the Healer told me that you might have one,” I nodded, leaning in and kissing his lips chastely. “Diligo, so, so much.”

“Oh, Louis,” he mumbled, his voice literally sending shivers down my spine, raising goosebumps, and causing my stomach to flip. “Diligo.”

I rolled onto him, cupping his cheeks in my hands. Our foreheads lightly rested against each other, gazing into each other’s eyes; his were such a stunning green that I honestly couldn’t imagine if I hadn’t seen them myself. We barely shifted, just enough for our lips to brush.

“I should get back to class,” he mumbled into the kiss.

“I told Liam that you have to rest,” I replied, pecking his lips again. “So you have about an hour before lunch.”

He grinned widely, tangling his fingers in my hair and giggling. “What about you? Will you stay with me?”

“Unless I get called away, yeah,” I breathed, running my fingers down his neck. “You’re so clingy.”

His face immediately dropped. “I’m sorry, I can- I’m so sorry-”

“No, shh,” I quickly interrupted, pressing a quick kiss to his nose. “I was teasing you, I’m sorry.”

“Y-you sure?” he stammered, clenching his fingers in my locks. “I don’t want to scare you away.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I nodded, trailing my lips down his jaw. “Diligo- I would never leave you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys appreciate that I churned out three chapters today. <3 I love everyone who's actually reading this: I promise it'll get good soon...


	10. Chapter 10

Louis’ hand stayed on the small of my back as he teleported us to the yard; it was time for lunch, and he was the escort (apparently that’s one of the messengers’ many jobs). His fingers trailed down my bum before pulling away completely, then he raised one hand and called, “Liberi, follow me to the dining room.”

They returned their swords to Liam, turned to face Louis, and started towards him; I began to walk just behind him, absolutely smitten to even be by him.

“Harry?” Came from behind me, causing me to spin around. Niall was jogging towards me, his eyebrows furrowed.

“H-hey,” I stammered, embarrassed by my earlier outburst.

“I want to apologize,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I do really want to be your friend, I guess I just got excited about your last name. Could you forgive me?”

“No, Niall,” I grinned, shaking my head. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“So…” he beamed. “Friends?”

“Friends.”

“Wanna have lunch together?”

With a little smile, I nodded. “Let’s go catch up to the group.”

After a small walk to the dining room, in which Louis patted my bum as I passed by him, Niall and I were sitting at the farthest corner of the dining table. He had a large plate of bangers and mash, while I had something called ‘wedding soup’.

“Anyways, that’s what my dad said,” Niall finished, after telling a story about his older brother’s wife. “But I don’t really know. Do you think you’ll ever love someone?”

I took a deep breath. Love was different here. “M-maybe,” I shrugged, trying to remain unfazed. All that the word _love_ reminded me of was Louis. “Maybe if I find the right person. What about you?”

“I want to love someone so badly,” he sighed, resting his chin on one hand. “But, I mean, look around. The girls in this year aren’t really prime, other than Penelope. But she has her eyes on you.”

“I don’t want her,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “You can have her if you want her.”

“Shhh!”

Confused, I scrunched my face up at him for a brief second before- “Harry?”

I glanced over my shoulder, and was immediately surprised to see the blonde girl standing there, lacing her fingers together. “Penelope?”

“I just wanted to apologize,” she sniffled, refusing to make eye contact. “I’m really sorry for knocking you out.”

“It’s fine,” I nodded with a smile. “Just don’t do it again.”

“A-alright,” she pouted, before turning on her heel and walking back to her friends.

After a second, Niall whispered, “Why wouldn’t you want her? She’s absolutely adorable.”

 _I’m not interested in girls. I’m only interested in Louis_. “I don’t know, she’s not my type.”

“So what is your type?”

“Uh…” I shrugged slightly, chewing my lip. “I kinda like brown hair, blue eyes, y’know.”

“So like Eleanor, the messenger girl?” he winked, pointing to the door. There was the girl from earlier who had walked us to combat class there, playing with her with wavy brown hair and talking with Louis- a little too close for comfort. “She was pretty cute, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah…” I said absent-mindedly, a little disheartened at the smile on the caramel-haired boy’s face. It was different from the smile he gave me, although I couldn’t tell if it was more or less genuine. An inkling feeling in my gut told me it was more.

“Too bad she’s a messenger,” Niall sighed. “She’s more or less engaged to that guy.”

“Is it, y’know, set in stone?” I asked, still locked on Louis’ smile.

“It might as well be. I hear that the classes that the messengers have to go to are pretty much just sex for days- those two know each other’s bodies better than their own, apparently.”

My heart dropped completely, but I refused to let it show. “Lucky them,” I forced, faking a smile as I turned back to Niall. “I want someone who knows my body that well.”

“You’ll just have to teach your wife, then,” he snorted, taking another bite of his meal.

“I guess.”

-

After Eleanor had walked us to our History class, Niall and I had sat in the front and were sharing stories about our childhood.

“And I’m serious,” he laughed, wiping tears from his eyes. “I never even _saw_ the mule!”

Between snorts, I managed to get out, “no fuckin’ way,” before doubling over.

“True story! It was just-” he made an explosion noise - “gone!”

It took a moment before I could breathe normally again, calming down from the laughter. “That’s way better than my story,” I chuckled, drying my eyes on my sleeves. “How on earth did you get away with that?”

“My dad told me to just act dumb, and the neighbors never suspected a thing.”

“That’s brilliant, Niall,” I beamed, pulling one of the provided pieces of paper in front of me. “What do you think this class is about?”

“Well, it’s called History,” he  shrugged, grabbing his own paper. “So I guess we’re gonna learn history.”

“As always, you’re so helpful,” I teased, writing _History_ down across the top of the page. “What sort of history?”

“Probably just about the kingdom,” he grinned, purposefully being a twit.

“I should hit you,” I smirked, lightly punching his shoulder when the door opened.

A most stunning man strolled through the front of the class, and a few girls giggled and made swooning noises. Not that they were out of place- I felt like swooning myself. He had a chiseled jaw, light blushing of stubble, and really long eyelashes, as well as a really thin stature, which was exaggerated by the long black tunic over his tight purple pants.

“Good afternoon,” he greeted, sitting down on his desk; he was close enough for me to smell the slight scent of smoke drifting off of his clothing. “‘m Zayn, your teacher.”

While chewing my bottom lip, I wrote, _Zayn - probably a smoker_. My stomach did a flip as I tried not to let out a little sigh; he was really cute.

“I’m gonna, uh, teach you history and stuff,” he shrugged, taking the book from the desk next to him. “I mean, you all probably know this stuff, so I’ll be brief, but I still need to touch on it.” He paused to open the text. “Anyone want to suggest a place to start?”

“How about the very beginning,” I said under my breath, trying not to blush at my own ignorance.

“Alright,” the raven-haired man grinned, closing the book again and resting his elbows on his knees. “We have a request for the very beginning.”

My face flushed bright red as the rest of the class let out little giggles. Niall nudged my waist with a little, “cheers.”

“The old legends tell of a man,” Zayn started. “Who approached a woman- Oracle Tumlen, the first Oracle ever recorded. She was a human farmer when he first met her. He told her that he had immense power that he would be willing to share with her, if she would be willing to share her harvest. She did so, being a warm individual, although she didn’t expect his claims to be true.

“To her surprise, he handed her a crystal ball, and disappeared. Within seconds she was able to see the future, both good and bad. She passed her power down her family, and thus, the Eximius were born.”

“Then, uh,” I spoke up, already resigned to making a fool of myself. “When and why did the Eximius isolate themselves from the rest of the Humans?”

“Great question,” the raven-haired man nodded. “It was around the time that expeditions left to find India; The King Henry VII remarked that the Eximius, who had, up until then, used their powers to help out around the country, were to be killed. After thousands of us were massacred, we came here, to our lovely Kingdom.”

After scribbling all that down onto the page, I looked back up. Zayn was grinning at me, resting his chin on his hand. “Uh?” I stammered.

“You’re taking notes,” he pointed out, raising both eyebrows. “I sorta assumed everyone knew these things already.”

“S-sorry,” I shrugged, lowering my head back to the paper.

“Don’t be, I’m always pleased to see a good student,” he beamed. “Anyways, what’s next? What do you guys want to learn about next?”

-

“And that’s all for today,” Zayn finished, hopping up from the desk. “You guys have three hours until dinner- do what you will, I guess.”

A slight chatter filled the room as everyone stood up to leave.

“Wanna go hang out in the yard?” Niall asked with a grin. “There’s apparently a really awesome shrub maze.”

“I was gonna go take a nap,” I replied, pointing at my temple. “Still a bit of a headache from earlier.”

“Alright,” he sighed, before clapping his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll save you a seat at dinner.”

“Thanks,” I called after him as he left. After carefully folding up my page of notes and slipping it into my pocket with the other one, I approached the raven-haired man. “Sir?”

“Huh?” he spun around from where he was doodling on the board with chalk. “Oh, you’re the note boy.”

“Harry,” I offered, chewing on my lower lip. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“What, uh,” I forcefully swallowed, trying to muster up enough confidence. “What does Sodalis mean?”

He laughed once, before saying, “it’s what you call the person you’re interested in marrying.”

My face flushed. “B-before or after the big L word?”

His eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head. “What are you on about?”

“I’m from the outside,” I explained, lacing my fingers together. “I’m just learning about all this stuff today.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed, nodding slowly. “That adds up. Well, uh, Sodalis is sorta like what you call your, uh, boy- or girl-mate?”

After blinking blankly for a few seconds, I said, “do you mean boyfriend or girlfriend?”

“Yes! That’s it,” he nodded, clapping his hands together. “A Sodalis is like your boyfriend or girlfriend. After you say the L word, they become your Uxor, which is like the fiancer.”

“Fiance.”

“Yeah, sorry,” he laughed. “And after you marry, they become your Socii, or spouse.”

“T-thank you,” I blushed, feeling my face turn bright red. “I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow in class.” My feet moved quickly, taking me out of the classroom, through the corridor, and up the stairs to the third floor, west wing. My room had the word Styles printed in bold black letters across the door, which I quickly swung open, ran into, and then slammed behind me. My heart was racing as fast as it had ever been before, and it was the only thing I could even hear.

Louis wanted me to be his boyfriend. 


	11. Chapter 11

My face was buried into the pillow on my bed. I had told Niall that I was going to take a nap, but it had been almost half an hour and I was still wide awake and stressing about Louis. He wanted me to be his sodalis. But he also was flirting(?) with that girl from earlier, Eleanor. Or… was he?

I slammed my eyes closed to keep the tears from slipping out. I was so confused. My head hurt so badly- the headache had intensified from all the thoughts running through at a constant pace. All I wanted was to fall asleep and wake up from this entire nightmare.

I wanted Nick. I wanted to bury my face into his shoulder and cry. I wanted him to come and hold me, smelling slightly like marijuana and slightly like vodka. I wanted him to kiss my forehead and tell me he loves me and that everything will be okay.

“I want to go home,” I sobbed, knotting my fingers into my hair.

“Harry?”

“Go away Louis,” I choked, my voice hoarse and painful. “I want to be alone.”

“No, you don’t,” he murmured, indenting the bed as he sat down. “You want to be held and comforted.”

“How would you know what I want?”

“I don’t know,” his voice whispered, coming off sickeningly sweet and dripping with concern. “But I know that you need someone, and here I am.”

“I want Nick,” I blurted, before biting my lip hard enough to bleed; fuck. fuck fuck fuck.

He was silent for a long time, not saying a single word, and then the indent in the bed disappeared. With a glance over my shoulder hesitantly, I let out a dry sob; he was gone. Just… gone.

And then he was back.

“Here,” Louis whispered, setting something down on the pillow next to me. “I know it’s not much, but… hopefully it’ll make you feel a little better.”

I blinked slowly, before pushing myself up into a sitting position. There, against the pure white pillowcases, was a light grey stuffed animal in the shape of a cat. “Louis..” I mumbled, reaching forward and petting it.

“I know, it’s not Nick, and it’s really kinda shitty,” he rambled, sitting back down on the edge of the mattress. “But it’s something you can hold, and you can cry to him all you want, and he’ll listen without any judgements, and-”

“Him?” I interrupted, lifting the ridiculously soft plush to my chest.

His face turned bright pink. “Well, uh, yeah, his name is Mercury, and, uh,” he lowered his voice until I could barely hear him. “He was my toy when I was growing up.”

My heart fluttered.

“But you don’t have to keep the name!” Louis quickly sputtered, shaking his hands nervously. “You don’t even have to keep him! I understand if you don’t want to, I mean, you’re high status and this is really the shittiest toy you could ever find, like ever, and-”

“I love him, Louis,” I breathed out, wiping the tear tracks from my face. “Thank you.”

He seemed at loss for words for a second, before he dropped his head to stare at his hands. “Y-yeah. I’m glad you l-love him,” he stuttered. “I wish I could do more.”

“This is more than enough,” I whispered, setting it- no, him- back on the pillow and opening my arms up. “You were right, Lou. I do need to be held and comforted.”

The caramel-haired boy fell forward, embracing me as tight as ever before. “Diligo, Harry, more than anything-”

“More than anything,” I repeated, closing my eyes. My mind was still racing. Eleanor. Eleanor. _What’s between you and Eleanor_?

“She’s my female equivalent,” he replied with a curious tone, alerting me that I had actually said that aloud. “Why?”

“Niall told me that you guys were practically engaged,” I whispered into his neck, blushing hard. “I just don’t want to continue this if you’re already called for.”

He let out a bark of laughter. “No, babe,” he grinned, pressing his lips to my temple. “It’s expected that she and I get married, but I get to decide my own fate.”

“Okay,” I murmured, embarrassed.

“And, uh,” his skin heated up against mine, alluding to blush. “You said you wouldn’t want to continue _this_ \- what is this?”

“It’s, uh,” I shrugged, pulling away far enough to look in his eyes. “It’s comfortable, and warm, and I never want it to end.”

His entire face lit up, before he whispered, “do you mean that?”

“Yeah, yeah,” I grinned, leaning in for a kiss.

Unsaid things went into the kiss; the _diligo_ s and the _don’t stop_ s and the _hold me tighter_ s. His hands slid under the back my button down, massaging my spine carefully. My fingers tangled in his hair, begging for something to call mine.

“Harry,” he groaned, mapping my mouth out with his tongue. “I think I’m getting addicted to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t even know what I mean,” Louis breathed, pulling away to lay his head on the pillow next to mine and on the other side of Mercury. “That’s what you do to me.”

“I really like you,” I blurted, before slapping my hands over my mouth.

He giggled slightly. “I ‘really like you’ too,” he teased. “I assume that’s some human phrase?”

“Y-yeah, it’s like- it’s like diligo, except, uh, very, uh,” I shrugged slightly. “Stronger, I guess.”

“So…” he hummed, peppering my neck with light smooches. “I really like you, Harry.”

I felt really light, yet at the same time, there was a deep doubt in my gut. “But it’s only been five days since we first met.”

“So?”

“That’s not a lot of time-”

“Wow, the human world is really weird,” Louis laughed. “People get married after about a month, here. Five days is nothing.”

My jaw dropped open. “So you have _a month_ to find the perfect person for you, and you could be _murdered_ if you ask the wrong one?”

“Yeah?” He raised one eyebrow, amused. “How does it work for you guys?”

“Well, people tend to start dating after knowing each other for about a month, and then like two years later they get engaged, and then it’s another year before they get married, and if you ask the wrong person, they say no and you start your search again,” I explained, tracing my fingers over his collarbone. “I’ve been asked out a couple times, and i haven’t killed any of them.”

His grip tightened around my waist. “Who the fuck has asked you out?”

“Some boys at my school, back in England,” I whimpered, suddenly scared by the flames in his eyes.

“I should let you know right now, Harold,” he hissed, pulling me snug against his body. “I’m the jealous type.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I mumbled, chewing on my lip.

“Let me do that,” he winked, before pulling my lower lip into his mouth, where he nibbled on it slowly.  It drew a little mewl out of my throat, causing a twinge of pain from the headache I had all but forgotten about.

“Louis-” I said, pushing him away. “I need to take a nap, my head kinda hurts.”

“From earlier?” he asked, furrowing his brows in concern. “Do you need to go see a healer?”

“No, I just need some sleep,” I mumbled, setting my head against his shoulder.

“Want me to stay, or..?”

“Please do.”

He wrapped his arm around my head, gently holding me in place, while lightly resting his free hand on my waist. “I really like you, Harry.”

“Mmm,” I nodded, closing my eyes. “You, too.”

“I want to stay by your side as long as I can,” Louis mumbled against my forehead. “So, uh, will you be my Sodalis?”

My face flushed as I nodded desperately. “Yes, yeah, please-”

“Thank you, so much,” he interrupted, kissing my lips softly. “Go to sleep, my dear sodalis, and if I have to leave before you wake up, I’ll keep you in my heart.”

-

My eyes fluttered open, and I realized that at some point, I had actually fallen asleep. The bed next to me was cold, suggesting that it had been empty for a while. In my arms, where Louis had been, was Mercury, his yellow eyes wide and glossy. I sat up slowly, still holding the stuffed cat to my chest, and felt the blanket slip off my shoulders and pool around my waist- although I definitely wasn’t tucked in when I had nodded off.

“Louis?” I said weakly, still shrouded in sleep. There was no response, save for a muffled scream from somewhere else in the building. “Louis?” I repeated again, stronger this time.

“Here, I’m here,” he quickly replied, appearing next to the bed. “Sorry, someone awoke and I had to get her to the infirmary.”

“Who?” I asked, reaching one arm towards him and making grabby hands.

“Lady Iqbal,” he responded, crawling back into bed. “Stunning girl in a headscarf, Munus developing after she plucked a flower from the garden. Marie said that she’s probably going to become a royal gardener.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Yeah, she’ll be fine,” he sighed, lifting my hand to his lips and kissing the knuckles. “She’ll be in pain for a few hours, and then she’ll get started on the rest of her life.”

“Louis,” I mumbled, setting Mercury down on my lap and using my free hand to wipe the sleep from my eyes. “Where’s your Munus?”

“On my thigh,” he hummed, trailing kisses up my arm.

“Can I see it?”

He let go of my arm, then laid down on the mattress. His fingers effortlessly tugged his pants down to his ankles, and then he lifted his left thigh. “Right here,” he offered, pointing to a dark brown rune on the muscle of his inner thigh. The mark itself looked like a crescent moon, with a small star in the very middle.

“What does it stand for?” I asked, crawling over his legs.

“Literally, sex,” he groaned, setting his head back on the mattress. “Out of all the runes I could have gotten, I got sex.”

“I think it’s absolutely beautiful,” I whispered, about to trail a finger over it when he grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t touch the munus,” he ordered, lightly slapping my hand. “It increases sensitivity.”

“How so?”

Louis looked at me for a long time, pursing his lips as well as scrunching his nose. “Fine,” he huffed. “Try touching my cock while pressing your thumb to my munus.”

With an obedient nod, I gently ran my forefinger over his underwear-clad limp dick, earning a soft _uhn_. After a second of getting lost in his little noises, I pressed a soft kiss to his inner thigh muscle, then another, and finally smooched his mark.

“Fuck, _Harry_ ,” he cried, bucking his hips up as he shot cum into the fabric of his boxer briefs. I pulled away from his thigh immediately, shocked at the dramatic result. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes were slammed shut with tears streaming from the intensity, and his chest was heaving, hard. “Harry,” he whined again, bunching the blanket in between his fingers.

“Oh my god,” I whispered, crawling over him and pressing a kiss to his wet lips. “You- oh my god.”

“Fucking hell, Harry,” he sobbed, lifting his trembling hands to his eyes. “That’s why you’re not supposed to touch other people’s muni.”

“Did it hurt?” I mumbled, caressing his cheeks gently. They were warm with blush.

“Give me a second, then you can find out yourself,” he sneered, glaring at me through wet eyes. “You’re such a fucking twit.”

“Yeah, I am,” I grinned, kissing his nose playfully. “I’m your fucking twit.”

He let out a strained laugh, before lifting his hand to the back of my head. “I really like you, Harry,” he breathed. “Did I say that right?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, lowering my lips to his tummy. My heart was racing as I hesitantly licked his sticky cum; it was different than I had expected it, since this was the first time I had ever actually tasted anyone’s. Slightly bitter, slightly salty, and slightly sweet. My tongue traced over his stomach, lapping up all that was visible, while my fingers tugged the waistband of his underwear down to expose more.

“Harry,” he whispered breathily. “Harry, what are you doing…?”

“I’m cleaning you up,” I responded, sucking the drying cum into my mouth. It was addictive. “You taste so good.”

“You really think so?”

“God, yeah,” I groaned slightly, tracing my tongue around his softening dick. “Don’t you dare ever waste another fucking drop.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he moaned, tugging my head up to his lips. “Come here.”

Our lips met, desperately and passionately. His fingers dug into the side of my face, indenting into my cheeks as his tongue forced it’s way into my mouth. A little mewl built in my throat, escaping into the silence.

“Your turn,” he huffed, rolling me onto my back. Louis tore my button down open, before tugging my underwear to around my ankles. “Aww, you’re already hard,” he teased, pressing a soft kiss to my tip.

“Lou, I’m scared,” I admitted, knotting my fingers in the sheets. “Is it going to hurt?”

“Not in the slightest,” the caramel-haired boy said with a soft grin. “It’s really intense, and you’ll be out of it for a little while, but no, it doesn’t hurt.”

“How intense is really intense?”

“You’ll be okay, Hazza,” he comforted, pressing his lips to my inner thigh briefly. “It’s not as strong as it could be, since this isn’t your final Munus.”

“It’s not even my final form,” I joked, rolling my eyes.

“...Isn’t that what I just said?”

“It’s a human joke.”

“Oh.”

I giggled slightly, not quite relaxed but not quite tense. “If you don’t do this now, I’m gonna chicken out,” I warned, spreading my legs slightly.

“Here we go,” he mumbled, resting his lips against my length, before brushing his thumb so lightly over my tummy that I barely felt it- until it met my mark.

My vision went entirely white, and no matter how tight I clenched my hands, it wasn’t tight enough. Slamming my eyes shut to keep them safe from the blinding white light (it didn’t work. Maybe the light was actually in my eyeballs), I opened my mouth to scream. Not a single noise came out. Or maybe it did. The blood pounding in my ears was so loud. I couldn’t get enough air, no matter how many gasps I took.

The cold tears streaming down my face was a relief from the fire burning under my skin, lighting me up yet turning me into ash. Tingles started in my toes, forcing their way up my body to my strangely clear mind. There was static and electricity and waves of pleasure.

Something landed on my belly, something warm and sticky and after a second I realized I was cumming. My back arched, lifting up off of the cloud underneath me. My body was all too much, and I swear that I wasn’t even in my body anymore. I was actually somewhere a few feet above, ascending to the heavens.

There was a voice, somewhere miles away, talking through a radio. “Harry,” the voice said, barely audible. “Harry, are you okay?” Something lightly touched my face, bringing me crashing back down from the sky. “Harry,” the voice repeated, gently coming closer. “Say something, and let me know you’re alright.”

My body didn’t respond to my intentions. I wanted to open my eyes and let the voice know that I was fine, and that I would be out for a little while longer, but both my eyes and mouth stayed shut.

“Harry, darling,” the voice begged. I slowly identified it as Louis. “You need to let me know if you need a healer.”

My head fell to one side as an attempt to say no. I still couldn’t breathe right, but the pounding in my ears was beginning to slow.

“Sodalis, sweetheart, dearest,” Louis sang softly. “I’m worried about you.”

My toes finally uncurled, my hands finally unclenched, and my mouth finally said, “‘m okay.”

“Oh thank god,” he whispered, before a pair of lips met mine. It was a sparkly and glittery and shimmery kiss. “You just sorta… _exploded_ ,” he smiled against my face.

My eyes tried to open, but still could only see white, so I shut them again. “Hold me?” All of a sudden, my body was lifting again, before being set back down on a really warm pillow- or maybe it was Louis. Maybe I was sitting on his lap.

“Your body is glowing again,” his voice whispered. More kisses were pressed all over my face.

“S’cuz I have too much,” I mumbled, holding onto his neck.

“Too much what, exactly?”

“Glow.”

With a laugh, Louis clarified, “you have too much glow?”

“Thazz what I said.”

“Alright, next time I’ll be sure to give you less glow,” he chuckled, smooching my nose like a butterfly. “Did it hurt?”

I barely shook my head no, giggling into his shirt.

“You’re actually the cutest thing in the world,” he laughed, petting my hair like I was a kitty cat, so I meowed. “Did you just-”

“Mrrrowr,” I repeated, nuzzling my nose into the crook of his neck. “Mew, mrowr!”

With a little chuckle, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Who’s my pretty kitten?”

I purred.

“Alright Harry, you should, uh, probably be waking up about now,” Louis mumbled, shuffling my hair. “Come on back.”

Still light headed and flush with pleasurable energy, I shook my head. I really didn’t want to. I liked this sense of airiness.

“Please, babe?” he begged. “I need you to come back to me.”

“Don’t wanna,” I huffed, keeping my eyes shut tight.

“Harry,” Louis demanded, removing his hands from my waist. “If you don’t come back, you don’t get any more cuddles today.”

“Fine,” I whimpered, shuffling closer to him and opening my eyes slowly. The light stung at first, before dissipating to show the stunning blue eyes smiling down at me. “Better?”

“Thank you, sweety,” he hummed, replacing his arms around me. “How did that feel?”

“Like heaven on Earth,” I yawned. “I really liked it.”

“Come here,” Louis ordered, connecting our lips in a deep kiss. That was the last push I needed to bring myself back to Earth, completely grounded and back to normal. “You look absolutely stunning.”

“Louis?” I blushed, hiding my face in his shoulder. “I want to spend the rest of my life in your arms.”

“I’d be honored if you would.”


	12. Chapter 12

After a long and pleasant dinner with Niall, in which we ended up talking about absolutely nothing and loving every moment of it, I locked myself back in my bedroom and collapsed onto a sofa in the corner. Eventually I was going to get up and look through the books on the shelves, and maybe try to learn something, but right now? I was absolutely exhausted. My mind was still a little foggy from earlier, and Niall had commented on how glossy my eyes were, as if I wasn’t quite there.

With a soft groan, I pushed myself up off of the ridiculously comfortable couch and hesitantly got to my feet. After coaxing my legs to move a few feet, I glanced up at the bookshelves. None of the words made sense.

“Stultitiam,” I read, tracing my fingers across the spines. “Hoc Vanitas Est. Non I Loqui Latine. Pedicabo. Is there anything in English?”

“No, not really,” Louis’ voice chuckled, causing me to jump in surprise. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

“You could knock sometimes,” I blushed, turning around to face the blue-eyed man. “Do you speak… whatever language this is?”

“Only a few people do,” he shrugged in response, stepping forward and hesitantly taking my hand. “Everyone knows a few phrases, like diligo or sodalis, but there’s only a few intellectuals- known as ingenium- who can read it fully.”

“Is that because of their munus?”

“On the nose,” he grinned, pressing a kiss to my nose. “Your teacher, Zayn, is one of them.”

“Oh,” I said, taking it all in slowly. “So the chance of me being able to read any of these is zero.”

“Exactly,” the caramel-haired boy grinned. He led me back to the couch, then tugged us both down. “So how was your dinner?”

“Delicious,” I smiled, leaning into him and catching his lips. “What about yours?”

“Well,” he shrugged. “It was food.”

My face dropped. “Do you not get the same meals?”

“You’re a Liberi, Harry,” he rolled his eyes. “You get amazing meals. I’m a messenger. I get whatever the cooks feel like heating up.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, pouting slightly. “Do you want me to save you something? I will, I promise-”

“Harry,” he interrupted with a kiss. “I’m fine. I only have another month of this, then my job is done. I get to go home and eat whatever I want, whenever I want.”

“Oh.”

“Thank you for offering,” Louis hummed, smooching my cheek. “Come here.” Snuggling into his arms, I held him close and refused to let go. He buried his face into my neck, simply breathing me in. It was simple, but comforting beyond anything I had felt in years.  His fingers lightly traced a crease on the back of my neck,  then tangled in the small baby curls. A smile found itself spreading on my lips, growing more and more with every second.  

He laid back across the cushions, resting his head against the arm of the couch, and I rested over him, burying my nose into his collarbones.  My legs slotted in between his, comfortably finding their place without trouble. Our breathing eventually fell into synchronization, and my eyes slowly closed. A hand lightly ran over the small of my back, causing me to giggle a little.

“Harry?” Louis whispered, the air from his lips blowing a little bit of my hair out of the way.

“Yes?”

“How long before you leave me?”

I immediately shot up, using my arms to hold myself over his head. He refused to look at me, his eyes wet with tears.

“What?” I spat. “Why would I- Never! I wouldn’t! I won’t!”

“Be real, Harry,” he huffed, furrowing his brows. “You’re a Styles. You’re going to be _King_. Everyone in the Kingdom loves you and wants to either be you or marry you. I’m a _Tomlinson_. I’m literal scum.”

“No, you’re not,” I breathed, shocked to see this side of the usually confident boy. “Your last name doesn’t mean anything, just like mine doesn-”

“That’s bullshit,” Louis interrupted, sitting up and effectively forcing me to move. “Every single fucking Tomlinson has become a messenger. I’m a messenger, my parents were messengers, my grandparents- hell, my younger sisters are going to be messengers and they’ve already accepted that. They’re eight years old, and they’ve accepted that people are going to hate them!” He almost yelled, burying his face into his hands. “You can’t- You’ll leave me once you understand.”

“Louis,” I started, beginning to set my hand on his shoulder.

“No! Harry, you’re perfect. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted and couldn’t ever have. You don’t get to- to pretend to understand. You can have anyone you want, and I can’t even dream of having anything better than El.”

“I want you,” I said, trying to come off confident. “If I can have anyone I want, I want you.”

“You don’t understand-”

“I understand perfectly,” I interrupted, not letting him finish any of his self-deprecating words. “You grew up knowing that your life mission would be one that everyone would hate, and because of it, you don’t see how amazing you are.”

“Stop joking-”

“I’m not, baby,” I murmured, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and holding him to me. “So what if my status is higher than yours? So what if I’m expected to be King?” I pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “It won’t be worth anything if I don’t have you.”

He laughed slightly. “You’re stupid, Harry. You can have literally anyone.”

“Why would I want anyone else?”

“They’re probably smarter, and richer, and… I don’t know. Better looking,” Louis shrugged, reluctantly setting his hands on my chest. “Why would you want me?”

“Because you took care of me when I was all alone and terrified,” I answered, cupping his cheeks and forcing him to look at me. “And you’re my boyfriend, and I lov-” Freezing mid-word, I chewed on my lower lip before finishing with, “-really like you.”

His eyes pooled over with tears, spilling down his cheeks. “Dammit, Harry,” he huffed, obviously trying not to smile. “Multum te amo.”

“Te amo?” I paused, blinking several times. “Doesn’t that mean _I love_?”

“You know that one?” the caramel-haired boy blushed. “Multum means a lot, or very much.”

“So I can constantly tell you how I feel?” I grinned. “Multum te amo. Multum multum multum te amo.”

“S-so you honestly won’t leave me?”

“Not until I die.”


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, I woke up to a fluttering of lips on my cheeks and nose.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Louis hummed, gently drawing me from slumber. “How are you today?”

“Amazing,” I yawned, wrapping my arms around his neck. His eyes were still half-closed, and he was only wearing a pair of underwear and a tunic. “How long have you been awake?”

“Only a few minutes,” he replied with a kiss to my forehead. “I came up as soon as I woke up.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, had to get my good morning kiss,” he teased, pressing his lips to mine. It was soft and sweet, with just a little bit of morning breath from both of us. His fingers tangled in my curls, gently pulling me into him. A tongue traced my lip, and I opened my mouth to give him access. He explored the inside of my jaw, covering every last indent of my teeth. A little whine escaped my throat, which he swallowed immediately.

The caramel-haired man pulled away for air with a small little grin. “Multum te amo,” he whispered. “I really like you.”

“Mmmm,” I preened, biting my bottom lip. “I like waking up to you. Has it really only been a few days?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, pecking my lips again. “It feels like I’ve known you my entire life.”

“Do you feel better from last night?” I asked, stroking his cheek.

His face pinkened. “Yeah, uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to break down like that, I just, I don’t know.”

“It’s absolutely okay,” I beamed, kissing him strongly. “As long as you know that I’m going to stay with you.”

“You promise?”

“On my life.”

“Thank you,” Louis mumbled with a grin, before kissing me again. It was happy and pure, and then the door began to open.

“Master Styles,” Paul called, and suddenly Louis was gone, leaving faint traces of his body heat. “It’s time for you to wake up.”

“Morning, Paul,” I stammered, sitting up quickly.

“Oh, you’re already up.”

“Yeah, I’ve been awake for a few minutes.”

“Well, breakfast is in 45 minutes,” he smiled, nodding his head to me. “Once again, I’ll be in the den.”

“Thanks,” I called after him as he shut the door. As soon as I was alone again, I set my forehead on my knees and released a long breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Holy shit, that was too bloody close.” With a sigh, I pulled myself up from the blankets and stumbled to the bathroom.

After stripping, I lowered myself into the water, moaned at how good it felt, closed my eyes, and leaned back. It was the exact perfect temperature, and I could actually feel my muscles relaxing.

“Can I join you?” a voice said, causing me to open one eye. Louis was crouching at the side of the pool-like tub, completely nude.

I bit my lip while checking him out- _god_ he was so hot. “Yeah, come on in.”

He slowly slipped into the water, before sliding to my side. “This is a really fucking huge bath,” he grinned, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “But of course, you’re a Styles.”

“One day you will be too,” I said without thinking. “Or, uh, I mean-”

“You’re ridiculous,” the caramel-haired boy breathed, taking a sponge from the side and soaping it up. “Let me wash you.”

“Only if I can wash you when you’re done,” I blushed, scooting away from the wall.

“Whatever you want, princess.”

His hand gently massaged the back of my neck while the sponge rubbed circles between my shoulder blades. My eyes closed again, letting the waves of relaxation take me. My entire body seemed to be floating as the soapy sponge scrubbed each arm individually, then water was lightly splashed over them.

“Whenever you touch me, I think I’m flying,” I breathed, not sure if he’d understand.

“Yeah, me too,” he whispered, pressing a kiss behind my ear. “Like there’s something special here that’s almost… I don’t know, Harry, I just love it.”

“Mmm,” I cooed, leaning back against his chest. “When I go back to England, will you come with me?”

“I’ll go anywhere with you,” Louis promised, holding around my waist. “You think your friends and family will accept me?”

“You’ll have to pass Nick, but yeah, my family will accept you.”

He shuddered slightly. “Nick was the guy who tried to punch me, right? He’s terrifying.”

“He’s protective, there’s a difference.”

“He tried to kiss you,” the caramel-haired boy huffed, tightening his grip. “I don’t like that.”

“He’s always trying to kiss me,” I chuckled. “It’s friendly.”

Louis pouted slightly, not wanting to respond.

“Let me bath you,” I teased, changing the subject.

-

“Here, Lou,” I grinned, offering him a shirt of mine. “Wear this.”

His face was half flattered, half disappointed. “I can’t.”

“What? Why?”

“Our wardrobes are defined by our status,” Louis explained, standing up and taking the royal purple tunic I was holding. “If I was suddenly to wear a Styles shirt, people would begin to talk.”

“I’m okay with that,” I blushed, rolling my lip between my teeth. “I’m okay with the world knowing.”

“That’s not the type of talking they would be doing,” he sighed, leaning forward to kiss my cheek. “They’d be saying that I stole it, or even that I raped you. No one would believe that this is, well, amo.”

“So what would they say if I wore your shirt?”

“That I forced it on you, and, by association, forced myself on you.”

I sighed loudly, pouting as I put the shirt back in the closet. “I really want you to wear my clothes, though…”

“I could wear them to bed,” he offered, wrapping one arm around my waist while taking the shirt back. “It would be like cuddling you, even when we’re not together.”

“You mean it?”

“Yeah, I’ll slip this under my pillow,” he whispered into my ear. “I’ll be right back.”

“Bring me something of yours,” I grinned, and then he was gone. Aaand then he was back.

“Here, sweetheart,” he hummed, offering me a dingy white shirt. “It’s the best thing I could find.”

“I’ll be sure to wear it tonight,” I grinned, taking it from him and holding it to my chest. “Thank you so much.”

“You don’t have to constantly thank me for these things, you know,” the caramel-haired boy blushed. “I should be thanking you.”

“How about we just care for each other and not bother thanking each other?”

After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and said, “Nah.”

-

Leaving Paul in the corridor after he escorted me to the dining room, I quickly found and sat by Niall, earning a small ‘mmf!’

“Harry!” he cheered after swallowing the bite he had been chewing. “How are you feeling today? Does your head still hurt?”

“Nah,” I grinned as someone set a plate of eggs down in front of me. “Back to normal! How are you?”

“I’ve got food in my mouth and my best mate by my side. I’m doing awesome,” he said before taking another huge bite. “Thsshesh g’d.”

Rolling my eyes, I poked my fork onto his plate and stuck a piece of his pancake into my mouth. It was absolutely mouth wateringly good. I wondered briefly if Louis would like to try some, but pushed it out of my mind quickly. “Yeah, it’s pretty good.”

“Mine,” he hissed, dragging the plate out of my reach. “You eat your eggs.”

“They’re just as delicious,” I teased, eating my own; yeah, they were.

-

Breakfast continued like that until Louis appeared at the door, calling for all the Liberi to follow him again. I managed to catch his eye before he turned out into the hallway; he couldn’t fight the fond smile that grew across his face. My face pinkened slightly, but I could only grin back.

Niall and I slipped into seats in the front row, only feet from where the caramel-haired boy was standing, observing the class.

“So Harry,” Niall yawned, stretching his arms behind him. “Are you interested in anyone yet?”

I sputtered loudly, trying not to turn bright red. “W-what?!”

“You know, it’s been a few days,” he shrugged. “Everyone is sorta zeroing in on someone.”

“Well, uh,” I stammered, turning away and scratching the back of my neck. “N-no, there’s really no girl that catches my eye.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Louis’ lips twitch up.

“Really?” the blond boy groaned. “Come on Harry, the rest of us guys don’t get a chance until you choose someone.”

“What? Why?”

“Every girl wants to marry into your family, and until you’re taken-” he cut himself off with a sigh. “You could, I don’t know, draw sticks.”

“Draw straws,” I corrected, rubbing my temple. I had chosen. Louis.

“Huh? No, draw sticks.”

“It’s draw straws in England.”

“Well we’re not in England, are we?”

“Fuck you,” I grinned, flicking my finger against his cheek. “What about you? Have you gotten anywhere with Penelope?”

“She’s still eyeing you up,” he groaned, doodling on a page of paper. “You’re really fucking lucky, you can get all the girls.”

After a moment of eyeing the disheartened boy, I stood up and turned to face the rest of the class. “Attention!” I called, clapping my hands together. “I am _gay_. I do not like girls. That is all.”

“Thank you for that, Styles,” Lady Yasmine laughed from the door. “May I have my students?”

“Err,” I blushed, turning quite red as I sat back down, Niall staring at me with his jaw dropped and eyes wide. “Y-yeah, go ahead.”

“Cheers.” She strutted to the middle of the room, then wrote Zahra Iqbal on the board. “One down, 19 to go. Yesterday, during your free time, one of you awoke. Her munus looks like this-” she drew something that almost looked like a poppy- “and represents bloom. She’s going to become the Royal Florist, and will, for the next two years, take control of the bouquets and floral arrangements for the entire Castle.”

“You’re _gay_?” Niall blurted, drawing the attention back to me.

“Shut up,” I hissed under my breath, trying not to flush more.

“Horan,” Lady Yasmine snapped, grabbing the back of his collar. “Would you like to become an example?” She didn’t wait for an answer before dragging him to the front, then grabbing his wrist. She easily spun it behind his back, causing him to let out a yelp. The yelp turned into almost a scream, and she finally let go of him. “That, dear students, is approximately one-tenths of how bad awakening hurts.”

The blond boy managed to get back into his seat, tears pooling in his eyes while he rubbed his wrist. My hand rubbed his shoulder lightly as an attempt to comfort him, but he pulled away instead.

Sigh.

“Um, Lady Yasmine?” I asked, reluctantly raising my hand. “What about the powers that come with the muni? Like, the messengers can teleport, and, etc?”

“Well,” she started, sitting down on a chair behind her desk. “Every different role comes with a special power. Like you mentioned, the messengers can teleport, but each of them has a separate, unique skill. As for our current messengers, Louis can make things appear and disappear without moving himself, and Eleanor can teleport up to seven people at a time, which is much higher than the normal amount of three.

“Meanwhile, teachers like myself and Professor Zayn get super hearing, while his special skill is knowing what a book says just by touching the cover, and mine is strength. General Payne’s Munus gives him super speed in battle, and his special skill is an ethereal armour that appears and disappears on command.

“The Royal Munus gives patience and diplomacy, while Queen Esmeralda has a strong sword skill and King Isaiah can hear his name being said from kilometers away. Miss Iqbal’s Munus gives her the ability to cause flowers to bloom, no matter what month, and we’ve yet to learn her secret skill. Any questions?”

No one spoke up.


	14. Chapter 14

“Why didn’t you fucking _tell me_ you were gay?” Niall hissed, punching my upper arm as Eleanor walked us all to Combat class.

“I didn’t know how people would take it!” I defended, rubbing my shoulder. “Plus I’ve only known you for two days, that’s the shortest amount of time it’s taken for me to come out!”

“Wait,” he paused, before scrunching his face up in disgust. “Does that mean that the guy messenger awoke you?”

My face pinkened. “Y-yeah, he did,” I shrugged, trying to come off nonchalant. “Not really a big deal, Ni.”

“Was it… was it weird?”

“I don’t know, was it weird with a girl?”

“Touche,” he admitted, crossing his hands behind his head. “So… how do you even have gay sex? Who gets the vagina?”

“Neither of us has a vagina,” I groaned. This was rather reminiscent of an episode of The Office. “He stuck it up my ass.”

Niall stopped walking, pushed his legs together, and let out a groan. “Oh my fucking god, I hurt just thinking about it-”

“-When you do it right, it doesn’t hurt at all,” I huffed, rolling my eyes while blushing. “Besides, there’s a special bundle of nerves that are, like, made just for gay sex.”

“What? No way.”

“Yes way. And it feels like _heaven_ when it’s brushed.”

“So…” the blond hummed, flicking his fingers back and forth in the air. “Are there any guys that catch your eye?”

“Just one,” I mumbled to myself, shrugging slightly. “But I don’t know, I probably shouldn’t-”

“Is it me?”

I spun on my heel to stare at him. His face was a bright pink, and his eyebrows were furrowed. “What?” I blurted, trying hard not to laugh. “No, Niall, it’s not you.”

“Oh thank god,” he breathed, running a hand through his hair. “No offense mate, but I’m really straight.”

“Being gay doesn’t automatically make me attracted to you,” I chuckled, rolling my eyes.

“So who do you like?”

My face pinkened. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”

“Come on, I’ll help you get him, no problem!”

“You can’t tell anyone.”

“Promise! Cross my heart and hope to die.”

I stared at him for a long time, before whispering, “I kinda like Louis, the messenger.”

“No!” he gasped, actually shocked. “No, Harry, you’re kidding, right?”

“We’ve talked about it, and he likes me back,” I mumbled, lacing my fingers together nervously. We were several feet behind the rest of the Liberi, and trying to be as quiet as possible. “He’s my, uh, Sodalis.”

“Harry, I can’t- why are you settling for him?” Niall hissed. “You deserve so much better!”

“I’m not settling,” I huffed, crossing my arms. “I think I’m falling in amo with him.”

“No,” he almost begged. “Please, H, please don’t throw everything away.”

“Shh,” I quickly interrupted, pointing towards General Payne, who was approaching the class.

“Good morning everyone,” he greeted, setting down a wooden dummy. “Today we’re going to be practicing swordwork. If everyone could get into a line, that would be awesome.”

After a second, the Liberi pushed into a single file line, and Niall brought him and I up to near the front, only three people behind the first.

“Alright,” Liam nodded, gesturing for the boy in front to step forward. As soon as he did, Liam set his hand on the boy’s shoulder, and suddenly the boy was in full armour with a longsword. “This is my armour, but I want to see how everyone moves in this.”

The boy struck the dummy, Liam took the armour and sword away, and the next person stepped up. This continued until it was my turn; Niall cheered me on from behind.

Liam’s hand clapped onto my shoulder, and then I was weighed down. My arms hung straight down. My legs wouldn’t move. My chest felt like it was being crushed. My entire body was being pulled to the grounds.

“Alright, Styles, go ahead,” he hummed, gesturing towards the dummy. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t move a muscle. “Styles, strike the dummy.” Still wouldn’t move. “What are you waiting for?”

“I can’t move,” I admitted, blushing strongly. “s’too heavy.”

“You’re fucking with me.”

“I’d shake my head, but I literally can’t move.”

He rolled his eyes, before taking his armour away. Instantly, I felt like I was a million times lighter. “Go sit with the rest,” he huffed, gesturing to the others who had already gone.

“I’m sorry for disappointing you,” I whispered, spinning on my heel and taking a few steps until I was semi-close to the rest before sitting down. Niall looked so excited to be doing this that he might even explode; as soon as the armour graced his shoulders, he swung the sword and damaged the dummy.

Then he fell to the ground screaming.

“Horan?” Liam breathed, kneeling beside the blond boy. My feet rushed me back to him, collapsing at his side.

“Niall?” I yelled over the shrieks of pain. “Take the armour off!” The teacher did so, his hand shaking slightly. The blond didn’t stop screaming, and I could instantly see the issue: light was glowing from the boy’s hand.  “Is he...?”

“Louis,” Liam immediately started chanting. “Louis, Lou, come here, NOW, Louis-!”

Blood was dripping from Niall’s lip from where he was biting it, causing me to tremble. “Niall,” I whined, setting my hand on his non-glowing one. “Squeeze this- I don’t know if it’ll hel-Ah!”

His fingernails dug into my palm as he held my hand so hard I saw lights. My eyes slammed shut, but if this was helping, I couldn’t really pull away.

“You called?” A voice came from behind.

“Horan is waking up, go go go!” Liam shouted, and then suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. In a blink, both Niall and I were off of the grass and on a soft cushion.

“Marie!” Louis called, the hand leaving my shoulder. “We’ve got one!”

Niall let out another scream, causing his grip to tighten, and I swear to god I heard something crack in my hand. His breath was parse and light and tears were streaming down his face and a woman pressed her fingers to his forehead. Instantly, he was calm.

“U-uh?” I sniffled, using my free hand to wipe my nose.

“He’ll be in a coma until his Munus is fully developed,” the woman explained, carefully loosening his fingers and taking my hand away. “Which should be in just a few hours.”

“Will he be okay?” I breathed, not able to feel anything below my wrist.

“Yes, he’ll be just fine,” she smiled. It seemed honest enough, so I nodded in understanding. “How about you, are you alright?”

“My hand hurts, but I’m okay,” I shrugged, staring down at the blond boy.

“Let me take care of that,” she chuckled, running her forefinger over the joints, causing my hand to go back to normal. “Better?”

“Better.”

“Let me take you back to class,” Louis finally said, his hand creeping up my shoulderblades.

“Can I stay here with him for a moment?”

We both turned to look at the greying woman, who shrugged and laughed, “I don’t see why not. As long as you don’t touch his hand, it shouldn’t do any harm.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, crawling next to the blond and lightly brushing his hair out of his face. “Hey Ni, you’re going to be okay,” I whispered with a smile. “You’re probably going to be military! You were so excited, and I can’t wait to see what your Munus is. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Don’t be late to breakfast, or I’ll eat all of it!”

When there was no response(not that I really expected one), I sighed and turned back to Louis. “I’m ready to go, now,” I hummed, swinging my legs off the bed and walking closer to him. “Will you take me back to class?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, resting his fingers on my upper arm. With a blink, we weren’t out in the yard, but instead up in my bedroom. “After a quick kiss.”

With a giggle, I pecked his lips. “Now, to class.”

“Alright, babe,” he hummed, taking me back to the yard.

-

After a very lonely lunch without Niall, I was sat in the front of the classroom, waiting for Zayn to appear. Eleanor was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, a few feet in front of my desk.

“Hey,” I called, resting my chin on my hand. “Eleanor, right?”

She seemed surprised, but responded, “y-yes.”

“How are you today?”

Her hazel eyes blinked slowly. “I’m fine- do you need something, Master Styles?” She asked confused.

“I just want to know more about you, I guess,” I beamed, smiling slightly. “You’re always so well dressed.”

“Oh,” she shrugged, letting herself grin a little. “Thank you. I try to look nice.”

“You don’t really need to try,” I complimented. “I’m sure you look nice no matter what.”

“You wouldn’t happen to be flirting with me, would you?” the brunette blushed, fluttering her eyes at me.

“I play for the other team.”

“Oh.”

“I just don’t think you should be extradited from society because of your role,” I explained, tapping the desk with my free hand. “So what do you do in your free time?”

“I really like fashion,” she hummed, leaning against the chalkboard. “I like the way certain garments look when paired with others, and I like finding those combinations.”

“I could see that,” I nodded, looking over her well put-together outfit of high waist leggings and a pullover. “I don’t think I’ve seen you look less than amazing since coming here.”

“Aw, thanks,” she giggled, setting her hands on her cheeks. “It’s really hard to find attractive clothing that fits my status- I guess I have to settle, when I get married.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, I’m pretty much engaged to the other messenger, Louis, who’s a Tomlinson,” Eleanor sighed. “He’s really nice, and not bad looking, but he’s the lowest in status in the entire kingdom. Good clothing is more or less a dream for me.”

My eyebrow twitched. “What if you marry someone else?”

“Like who?” she laughed, flicking her brown hair over her shoulder. “Not everyone is as accepting as you are, Master Styles. Most people think I’m an- oops!” She stopped, then disappeared as the door swung open.

“Afternoon, everyone!” Zayn called, carrying a pile of books to his desk. “Today I’m gonna see who can read Latius, so pass these books back.” He handed me a fraction of the books, which I passed to the table behind me. This continued until everyone had one in front of them.

I already knew I couldn’t read it, so I simply doodled on a piece of paper.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a really short chapter, but a really important one.

“Hey, Harry,” Zayn called when class ended, stopping me from leaving. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Yeah, sure,” I grinned, standing by his side while he waited for the rest to leave. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to ask about your parents, since-” he tapped the top book on his stack- “Their marriage was never officially documented. I know your father is Des Styles, but I’m not sure about your mum.”

“Uh, her name is Anne Cox,” I shrugged, leaning against the desk. “Recently changed back from Anne Styles.”

He furrowed his brows slightly.

“Is something wrong?”

“There’s, uh, never been record of an Eximius named Anne Cox,” the raven-haired man stated.

“That’s cause she’s human,” I shrugged.

He gazed at me for a long, long time before whispering, “you’re a _hybrid_.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re the first hybrid since the very first generation- that’s insane,” Zayn stammered, setting his hands on my shoulders. “This can’t be real, you- you’re not _stable_ , you could crash.”

“What are you talking about…?” I breathed, my heart pumping in my chest.

“The thing is, Harry, the only reason we’re able to use our powers is because we have two genes of magic,” he explained slowly, turning the the board and drawing two stick figures, then connecting them through lines to a third. “Because we have two, we’re balanced. You only have one-” he erased one of the larger stick figures, then erased half of the smaller one- “which means you might never awake. You might be stuck like this forever- in limbo between our two worlds, not quite one but not quite the other. And if you do awaken, we have no idea what you’ll be capable of.”

“Wouldn’t I be capable of half of what everyone else could do?” I whimpered, wiping tears from my eyes. This was terrifying. “Wouldn’t that make sense?”

“That’s just it,” he sighed, turning back to me. “I have no idea. But Harry, you’ve got to keep this quiet, alright? You can’t tell anyone.”

“Why not?”

“We don’t want to scare anyone,” he mumbled, falling into the seat behind his desk. “This is insane. I can’t- we have _laws_ against interbreeding. Your dad will be killed, if this gets out.”

“H-he would?” I stammered, sliding down the side of the desk. Why me? Why was this happening to me? “Last week, I was just a normal student in a normal high school in good old England, and now I’m a fucking hybrid in a magical kingdom where everyone loves me and I just want to go home,” I sobbed, burying my face in my hands as tears spilled out onto my cheeks.

“Oh, Harry,” Zayn sighed, crouching down beside me. “With any luck, you won’t get a role, and one of the messengers will just send you home, and everything will be back to normal.”

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” I cried, hiding in his shoulder. “I just want this to be a bad dream.”

He cooed softly, rubbing my back slightly. “I was born in England, y’know,” he whispered, trying to calm me down. “I moved back here with my mum after my dad passed away. I miss it sometimes, but I got used to here, and, if you get a role, you will too. You’ll find someone to marry, and everything will be fine.”

“What if-” I sniffled- “What if the person I want to marry is really low in status, and everyone disapproves?”

He shrugged. “Do what makes you happiest, I guess. You’re a Styles, no one can really tell you what to do or what not to do.”

“T-thanks,” I breathed, drying my eyes on my sleeve. “As soon as I get a chance, I’m going to go back to England. I’m going to hide in my mattress, and I’m never going to wake up ever again.”


	16. Chapter 16

The next two weeks were of the same sort of routine, and one by one, every single Liberi got their Munus and role- well, every single one except for me. I was the only one left in the classes, and they had broken down into Lady Yasmine yelling at me while Zayn searched through every single book for a role that might awaken me. Of course, he had confided in me that he didn’t think I had one, which meant that, in another week, I could go home.

Louis still had no idea that I was a hybrid, and I was pretty sure that I was going to keep it that way. Maybe one day I could tell him, when I was sure that he wouldn’t run away screaming. I wasn’t sure about that quite yet.

-

 _Mrowr_.

My eyes flickered open to the bright light of early morning, pouring through the windows. There was a mysterious warmth on my chest, kneading into the white tunic that Louis had given me weeks previous.

“Mrowr,” came again, forcing me to unblur my eyes and focus on the creature. There was a long-haired black cat resting on my chest, with green eyes that seemed to gaze straight into me.

“Hi kitty,” I mumbled sleepily, raising my hand to pet it. “Where did you come from?”

It purred and reached into my hand, licking my palm gently.

“Aw, you’re a cutie,” I grinned, using my other hand to rub my eye. “Louis, come see this.”

“Mmm,” his voice groaned from outside the curtain. Over the past two weeks, I had gotten used to him appearing out of nowhere. “How did you know I just woke up?”

“Look, I have a kitten!”

The curtains pulled back, and instantly, Louis fell to the floor on his hands and knees, forehead pressed to the hardwood. “Galaxy,” he breathed, bowing to the cat for some reason. “Harry, stop touching him- you can’t- where did you find him?!”

With both my hands in the air at this point in confusion, I replied, “he was on my lap when I woke up?”

“I’ll be right back,” he stammered, before disappearing again.

Alone with the cat that I was apparently not allowed to touch, I let out a soft little coo as he curled up on my chest, purring loudly.

“Her Majesty, the Oracle,” Louis interrupted, stepping back from a woman who had obviously just woken up, as she was only wearing a bathrobe and a pair of slippers.

“Galaxy?” She gasped, ripping the curtains around my bed open. Her eyebrows were furrowed together for a long time before she snapped at the caramel-haired boy; “You may tell Professor Malik and Lady Yasmine that _Oracle Styles_ will no longer be attending their classes.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he bowed, disappearing.

“O-Oracle?” I stammered, pinned to the bed by the cat.

She let out a sigh as she sat on the mattress next to me. “I had another 37 years, Galaxy,” she mumbled, running her long fingers down the kitty’s back. “Was I doing that bad of a job?”

“I can’t be Oracle,” I sputtered, gripping the pillowcase. “I’m a guy- plus, I haven’t awoken!”

“Galaxy has chosen every single Oracle, by doing exactly what he’s doing now,” she hummed, lifting the cat off of my chest and into her arms. “Sit up, um-”

“Harry,” I finished, pushing myself up and against the headboard.

“Well, Harry, I suppose you’re my disciple now,” the woman smiled. “I’m Minnie.”

-

“This, Harry,” Minnie said, spinning on her heel with her arms extended. “Will be your new classroom. You’ll learn how to read the stars, the future, and more importantly, yourself.”

“Wow,” I breathed, taking a long hard look at the room. It was poorly lit, illuminated only by candles in assorted areas around the room. The dark hardwood was hidden by a large rug with some royal pattern on it, and in the middle of the room was a small table with a pillow on the floor by it. “It’s- wow.”

“In here, you’ll be able to practice your magic without being disturbed,” she grinned, taking a large box off of a shelf in the corner. “This will be the most important item in your future reign.”

“What is it?” I asked, standing awkwardly by the door.

“Come closer,” she huffed, setting the box on the table. “And straighten your robes, you look sloppy.”

“I feel ridiculous,” I mumbled, trying to organize the green-and-cream robes that she had forced onto me.

“You need to dress the part when you practice, otherwise you won’t be able to do the spells,” she explained, tying her black hair back into a bun. Her outfit was much less formal, being a black tunic over a grey skirt. “You get used to the outfits pretty quickly.”

With cautious steps, I made my way slowly to the small table, and took a long look at the box. It was heavily reinforced, with several locks on the outside. “What’s inside?”

“Sit, sit,” Minnie ordered, gesturing towards the pillow. After I made myself comfortable, she waved her hand over the top of the box, causing the locks to pop open. “Go ahead, Harry. It’s yours now.”

My heart was pounding in my ears as I lifted the lid, revealing a plain yet captivating crystal ball. “It’s-” I whispered, lifting it in my hands. Tingles raced up my fingers to my arms to my shoulders and finally throughout my entire body.

“This is the same that Oracle Tumlen was given, several centuries ago,” the raven-haired woman explained, gazing wistfully. “The fact that you can even touch it means that Galaxy wasn’t wrong. Welcome, Harry, to the life of an Oracle.”

“What exactly do I have to do?” I stammered, twirling the orb carefully.

“Whenever the King, Queen, or General has a question, you’ll read the stars and give them an answer,” she shrugged. “Public appearances, speeches, balls. There’s a lot of down time, really.”

“So I could do whatever I want?”

“More or less,” Minnie yawned, laying on the floor. “I’ve done a lot of painting.”

With a shuddery sigh, I set the ball back in the box. “C-could I do it from England?”

“The human world? I don’t know that our magic really works there,” she stretched. “I know that the Messenger’s does, but I think that’s it.”

“But I could live in England, and a Messenger could take me back and forth when I’m needed, right?”

“Do you really hate it here that much?” she asked, sitting up to stare.

“It’s not that I hate it,” I blushed while closing the box. “I just want to go home, really.”

“I’m sure you could figure something out, yeah,” the raven-haired woman nodded, pursing her pink lips. “As long as you’re here when you’re required.”

“I might be able to swing that,” I hummed, setting my head on the table. “I’m just really- I’m confused about everything.”

“Talk to me about it,” she offered.

After taking a deep breath, I ranted, “I think I’m falling in love with someone who I’m not even supposed to talk to and I’m just a normal person- or, I just want to be a normal person and now I’m a freak with the most important job in the kingdom.”

“You honestly think you’re falling in love already?” Minnie paused, raising her eyebrows. “With who?”

“T-the male messenger,” I admitted, blushing heavily. “He’s really sweet and cute and I don’t know, he treats me really well.”

“Is that why he was in your bedroom this morning?” she teased.

“Y-yeah, I, uh,” I swallowed nervously. “He comes by to wake me up every morning with a kiss. We’re, uh, Sodalis?”

“That’s really cute,” she hummed, laying back down, adjusting her bun. “I’ve always wanted a Sodalis, but all the boys are intimidated. Don’t let him get away.”

“I won’t.”


	17. Chapter 17

After a long heart-to-heart with Minnie, in which she explained that she wasn’t cold, she was just shy, and I explained all about the human world, I changed out of the formal robes while Liam was called on to escort me down to the dining room.

“Are you sure it’s alright for you to eat with all the other Eximius?” he asked, walking stiffly.

“Yeah,” I hummed. “I’m still me, Liam.”

“Err,” he corrected. “I’d prefer General Payne, Your Majesty.”

“What? Fine,” I huffed, pouting up at him. “And what’s with this whole _your majesty_ thing?”

“You’re the most essential person to the kingdom now, Your Majesty,” he explained, opening the door to the dining room. “I am required to treat you as such.”

With a frustrated sigh, I entered the grand room and took several steps towards the blond boy in the corner, where we always met. As I slid into the seat, Niall tensed up until he was trembling.

“G-good afternoon, Your Highness,” he blurted, gripping his fork until his knuckles turned white. “I feel blessed by your company.”

After a second of disbelief, I let out a loud bark of laughter. “If you treat me like that I swear to God that I’ll punch you,” I beamed, rolling my eyes at him while a servant set down a plate of food in front of me.

“I, um, I don’t know how to respond to that,” he stammered, setting his fork down. “I’m flattered that you want to talk to me-”

“You’re my best friend,” I interrupted, glowering at the boy. “You’re one of the only people I have left. Please don’t do this. I’m still Harry.”

He swallowed nervously, before saying, “Harry, you’re the _Oracle_. I’m only a Royal Guard.”

“Then, technically, wouldn’t it be safest for me to hang out around you?”

He opened his mouth to respond, before shutting it again. “I mean, I guess,” the blond mumbled, failing to hide the smile at the sides of his mouth. “As long as you promise that you won’t have me killed for making fun of you sometimes.”

“I fear the power will go to my head if you _don’t_ make fun of me sometimes,” I grinned, taking a bite of the meal in front of me. “I couldn’t ever kill you, Niall, you’re too helpless.”

“I’m slightly insulted and slightly relieved,” he beamed, picking his fork back up to resume eating. “So what is it like, being the most important person in the Kingdom?”

“Weird,” I shrugged. “Did you know that Minnie, the current Oracle, is an amazing artist? She was showing me her art.”

His eyes widened in awe. “You got to talk with her? Like, an actual conversation?”

“She’s a normal person, just like you and me,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “And she’s an amazing artist, and a really nice girl.”

“You should date her,” he suggested, taking a huge bite.

“Niall.” I glared at him, furrowing my brows. No matter how many times I told him that Louis and I were happy, he insisted that I deserved better. “I’m already dating someone. Don’t do this.”

“I’m just saying- you two are both Oracles, you said she was nice-”

“I’m in love with Louis,” I hissed under my breath, causing him to choke as I clapped a hand over my mouth. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

“You don’t mean that,” he said, although it sounded more like begging. “Harry. That’s not- that’s not something to joke about.”

“I’m not joking,” I breathed, tearing up slightly from embarrassment. “I’m not joking and I do mean that. I love him.”

“Harry,” Niall whispered, his eyes wide. “If that’s true- he’s the _rest of your life_ , you don’t get a second chance until he _dies_.”

“I- I don’t want a second chance, I want him,” I flushed, letting a small smile cross my face as I dropped my hands. “I- wow, I’m in love.”

“You’re an absolute dick,” he huffed, turning back to his food. “Even after I told you not to, you went off and got yourself fucked.”

Lightly punching his shoulder, I pouted. “Be nice to me, I just found out I’m in love!”

“Yeah, alright,” he rolled his eyes. “I’m happy for you.”

“What about you?” I beamed, resting my chin on my hand. “How are you and Penelope?”

“Pretty good,” the blond blushed, glancing up across the table at his Sodalis, who was sitting with her friends on the other side of the room. “We spend a lot of time together, y’know, since we’re both guards. She’s really nice, once you get past the snobbiness.”

“Yeah? Are you close to L-O-V-E?” I spelled it out, careful not to put words in his mouth.

“I was gonna tell her soon,” Niall shrugged, smiling slightly. “I think she feels the same, if the way she holds my hand is any indication.”

“Did you know, in the outside,” I grinned, earning a soft groan; I talked about the outside quite a bit, and I was pretty sure he was bored of it. It helped me fight the homesickness, although, admittedly, not by much. “Anyone can hold hands? Me and my best friend used to hold hands every day.”

“You guys are fucking sluts,” he rolled his eyes with a grin. “Random sex, random kissing, random holding hands? I don’t know how you lived like that.”

“Well, I didn’t,” I blushed, shrugging. “And holding hands is really tame, so-”

“Really tame?” he scoffed. “Hazza, you better not be holding hands with people who aren’t your Sodalis.”

“I’m not,” I quickly denied, poking my fork into his arm. “I wouldn’t!”

“Ow,” the blond whined, sticking his tongue out at me. “You’re a jerk.”

“Yeah, but I’m a faithful jerk,” I huffed, brandishing my silverware. “I won’t let you tarnish my reputation!”

“Jesus _Christ_ Harry,” he laughed, rolling his eyes fondly.

-

Under Liam’s supervision, Niall was allowed to walk me back up to my room; I was surprised to find it half-empty when I got there.

“Uh?” I stammered, looking around the barren room.

“You’re being moved to the Oracle Suite,” Minnie explained, appearing from seemingly nowhere while clapping her hand on my shoulder. “It’s just a few rooms down, I’ll walk you.”

With that, she led me out into the corridor, to the right, and then to a large set of double doors. She waved her hand over the lock, causing them to swing open.

“Here you go,” she hummed, escorting me in. The room was large, with a couch and two armchairs in front of a fireplace. “As long as you have a guard, you can bring your friends up in here- assuming they’ll be back by midnight.”

“And, uh,” I blushed, lacing my fingers together. “What if I want to bring Louis up? I really don’t want a guard there then.”

She smirked slightly, raising one eyebrow. “I should’ve known,” she said with a wink. “You and Louis are having premarital sex, aren’t you?”

My face turned so red that I could feel the blood pounding in my ears. “W-well, he is the messenger, you know? We’ve already, and it was never said that I couldn’t keep having sex with him-”

“You’re the Oracle, Harry,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes. “No one can say anything to you one way or another.”

“Still, I just want to clarify that I’m not breaking any rules and really, I do plan on marrying him and-”

“Harry!” the raven-haired girl yelled, a laugh in her voice. “Be quiet, will you? I don’t mind if you have premarital sex. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“A-alright,” I blushed, trying to hide my face for the rest of my life. “But, uh, do I have to have a guard here when we’re, uh, _cuddling_?”

“I’m sure you’ll be alright without one,” she grinned, wrapping her arm around my waist(she was, at her tallest, just about the middle of my chest). “I’m pretty sure he won’t hurt you- unless you two are into those things.”

“Oh my god, this is not happening,” I whispered, slamming my eyes shut in embarrassment.

“You’re so easy to play with,” Minnie teased, leading me to a small door behind the couch. “This is the bedroom, where you two will be getting it on all the time,” she grinned, opening the door to reveal another large, four post bed. Curtains were tied back, revealing the pure white sheets and pillowcase; they contrasted beautifully against the dark wood.

“You mean, the bed where we will be cuddling all the time,” I corrected, blushing.

“Harry, I’m not an idiot,” she sighed, gesturing to another door in the corner. “Go get changed back into the robes.”

“Yes ma’am,” I mumbled, hurrying into the room and closing the door behind me. There, hanging on a bar on the wall, were the robes from earlier; I quickly stripped into nothing but my underwear, then fumbled with the fabric.

Of course, I wasn’t quite sure how to put them on still.

“Hey Minnie?” I called, separating the five different pieces. “Will you help me, please?”

“You’re helpless,” she sighed, opening the door. She looked me over slightly, then rolled her eyes; alright, first the pants go on.”

With a nod, I set the other pieces onto a dresser, and slipped my legs into a pair of poofy shorts.

“Then you put on this robe,” she explained, lifting up a cream dress over my head, then dropped it onto my form. She adjusted the fabric until it was apparently straight, then picked up the largest green piece. “Now this goes over one shoulder,” she said, setting it on my right shoulder, before connecting it to my left hip. Her fingers moved quickly over a buckle, then onto the fabric as it dropped down to the floor. “Then we have the sleeves,” she hummed, lifting each one up individually before buckling them around my arms. “Last, the hood,” she nodded, setting it around my neck.

“That’s it?” I breathed, turning to look at myself in the mirror.

“That’s it.” Minnie winked. “Come on, let’s go teach you some spells.”

-

Back in the practice room, the raven-haired woman brought out the box again, then waited.

“Go ahead,” she hummed, gesturing towards the lock. “Open it.”

“I, uh, don’t know how,” I shrugged, lacing my fingers.

“Just wave your hand over it, the box will do the rest.”

Although I was doubtful, I ran my hand over the top, and, to my surprise, the lock simply swung open. “How does it know?”

“It reads your energy,” she explained, sitting down across the table. “Take the crystal ball in your hands.”

I did so, feeling the tingling fill my body again.

“Alright Harry, close your eyes.”

My eyelids fluttered shut, throwing me into blackness.

“Focus on the light, running through your body.”

My veins seemed to glow, and I could feel every single one of them.

“Feel it in your toes, your fingers, your chest, your head, everywhere.”

My body felt warm and weightless. I was floating, several feet above the ground, and there was a blinding light, somewhere.

“Focus on that.”

It was hard not to, really. It was the only thing I could focus on.

“Bring that light up to your crown center.”

There was a light tapping on the top of my head. With deep breaths, I managed to force the light to gather up in my skull.

“Feel the light gathering in your head, filling every crevice and illuminating every corner.”

Psh, easy. There was so much light there already that it was leaking through my skin.

“Feel yourself swimming in that light.”

Swimming? More like drowning. There was so much of it, it was overwhelming and amazing, floating in nothing and everything all at once.

“Now without losing that feeling, open your eyes slowly, and look into the ball.”

It took a moment to flutter my eyes open, and another moment for the light to dissipate enough to regain vision.

Suddenly, I was at home. I was standing in the dining room, perpetually staring off in one direction. There was a woman sitting at the table, and I identified her as my mum.

I opened my mouth to call out to her, but there was no sound.

She sat there, hunched over a mug, sobbing. Her cries were loud and heart shattering.

I ran forward to hold her, but I didn’t move.

Someone stumbled into the frame, pulled up a chair, and started rubbing her back. Nick. He was whispering little comfort words to her, telling her that it would be alright, and that Harry would come home soon, and that he wouldn’t rest until Harry was back in their arms.

I realized slowly that I was Harry.

“I’m right here,” I tried to say, but once again, nothing came out. “Mum, Nick, I’m here.”

She continued crying, and he continued whispering, and I slowly faded. The room was gone, the people were gone, and then I was back in the practice room.

Tears streamed from my eyes, dropping off my cheeks onto the crystal ball. I couldn’t breathe, from how hard I was sobbing.

“Harry,” Minnie gasped, coming around to my side of the table. “What’s- what did you see?”

All I could manage was to shake my head, trembling as I set the orb back into the box.

“Harry, sweetheart,” she begged, wrapping her arms around me. Setting my head on her shoulder, I let out a broken sob as she ran her fingers through my hair. “It’s okay. Sometimes we see things we wish we didn’t.”


	18. Chapter 18

Minnie escorted me back to the Oracle suite, tucking me into the bed.

“I’ll come get you when it’s dinner time,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Get some rest, you’ll feel better.”

Nodding pathetically, I buried my face into the pillow and whimpered as she left, closing the door behind her. Alone, I closed my eyes to try and remember the vision; was it real, or was it just made up? Was Mum currently crying somewhere, with no one but Nick to comfort her? Was Nick somewhere, trying his hardest to find me?

“L-Louis,” I sobbed, clutching at the sheets.

“Your Majesty,” his voice came, stiffly. I opened one eye to look at him, and saw that he was standing straight, with his hands behind his back. “May I help you?”

Immediately, I felt abandoned. There wasn’t anyone else in the room, so that wasn’t why he was being so formal. My mind hurt, aching at how confused I was. My sobs got louder, racking my entire body with emotion.

“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?” He asked, taking a few steps closer to the bed. His arms were trembling, and his jaw was tense; I could tell he wanted to hold me, but he couldn’t.

“I can’t fucking believe you,” I cried, turning away from him.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty-”

“Why won’t you just fucking hold me?” I hissed, punching the mattress weakly.

“Because you’re the Oracle,” Louis explained, sitting on the edge of the bed, still stiff and formal.  “You’re the most important person in the world and I’m still just… me.”

“You’re a stupid jerk,” I mumbled, lifting the blanket to my eyes to wipe the tears while swallowing the sob in my throat. “You’re a stupid jerk and I hate you.”

“I hate me too,” he sighed.

“Hold me Louis, that’s an _order_.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said, trying to fight the relief in his voice.

His body laid right up behind mine, one arm slipping under my chest while the other wrapped around my waist. He pressed a kiss to my neck, still slightly trembling.

“Are-are you afraid?” I whispered, choking back the words I love you.

“What would I be afraid of?”

“I don’t know. I just- I feel like you’re ashamed of me.”

“No, Harry,” Louis murmured against my skin. “I’m insanely proud of you, and I can’t believe how amazing you are. It’s _me_ I’m ashamed of.”

With a little whimper, I rolled to face him. There was a small, insignificant, sad smile on his lips, barely enough to be seen. “Louis,” I breathed, caressing his smooth cheeks gently. “You’re my rock. You’re my everything, and you keep me grounded. If- If I was to lose you…” I had to stop to fight back another sob. “If I was to lose you, I’d die. I’d die of loneliness, and stress, and heartbreak. I couldn’t- I couldn’t do any of this without you.”

He tightened his grip around me barely, and let his fists unclench. His fingers traced my spine as he whispered, “But I’m just a messenger-”

“As the Oracle,” I interrupted, remembering what Minnie said about no one being able to tell me ‘anything, one way or another’. “As the Oracle, I change your role from Messenger to _Oracle’s Personal Servant_.”

“You can’t do that,” he said with disbelief.

“Try and stop me,” I grinned, drying my eyes. “You’re now as important as I say you are, and, surprise Louis, you’re important.”

The caramel-haired boy furrowed his brows, glowering at me before saying, “You’re fucking with me, right? You can’t just change my role.”

“Says who?” I huffed, snuggling closer into him(causing him to readjust his arms so he could hold me even tighter). “Like you said, I’m the most important person in the world. Who would dare oppose me?”

“I mean, I guess you’re right, but we still have another week before the Liberi get to graduate, and for the rest of the week, I’m technically required to work for everyone who calls for me, and I can’t just leave Eleanor to do that all by herself,” he rambled, balling my robes up in his fist. “So does it really- I mean-”

“Shut up,” I interrupted with a kiss, closing my eyes as they met. Soft traces of vanilla drifted off his lips as he moved them over mine, slotting closer to deepen the kiss. His breath was hot on my face, and one of his hands lifted up to cup my cheek.

“Fucking hell, Harry,” he groaned into my mouth. “Fine, I’ll be your personal servant or whatever.”

“Yay,” I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Now, will you stop being so goddamn formal all the time? We’re almost the same status now.”

“Fine,” Louis groaned, acting annoyed despite the fondness on his face. “Multum te amo, you _idiot_.”

-

_A few days later_

-

“Come on, Harry,” Lou giggled, pushing her purple hair out of her face. “Let me do your hair.”

“Why bother?” Minnie interrupted, twirling a sheer piece of fabric around. “He’s just going to be wearing a veil anyways.”

“Parts of his hair will still be visible,” the first one retorted, grabbing my shoulder and setting me on a chair in front of the full-wall mirror. “Let me fix it in a way that’s more conducive to a veil.”

“Don’t I get a say?” I mumbled, closing my eyes as fingers pulled through my locks.

“Nah,” they said in unison, before giggling; they were quickly becoming best friends.

“Anyways, you got to choose what you wore, so we get to do the rest,” Lou teased, snapping her fingers and causing tingles to cross my face.

“Choose?” I scoffed. “I got to pick between the exact same outfit- the exact same cropped shirt, the exact same pants, and the exact same boots- in black or in white.”

“And you chose black,” the raven-haired girl hummed, adjusting her short black dress. “I dressed accordingly.”

“Did you have a white dress?”

“I did!”

“I bet that would’ve been stunning,” Lou sighed, clipping the veil into my hair. “You just had to choose black, Harry.”

“I don’t look good in white,” I huffed, glancing up at my reflection in the mirror. Black, however, was the perfect color on me; it made my skin look pale and flawless, although I was pretty sure it was Lou’s doing as well. “It makes me look yellow.”

“Shhh,” the purple-haired girl said, flipping the front of the veil over my face. “You look amazing in everything, Harry. Now come on, let’s get you down there; Everyone is waiting on you two.”

“Why are we doing this ball, anyways?”

“To get to know you,” Minnie hummed, slipping a black robe with intricate blue embroidery on it around her form. “The people in our Kingdom are confused- I had another 37 years as Oracle, and then all of a sudden a kid that no one knows takes over? They’re unhappy. Also, we’ve invited royalty from the surrounding Kingdoms to be present, so that our Kingdoms can become closer.“ She set a hat on her long silky locks, then turned to face us. “Ready! Harry, will you do the honor of calling your boy-mate?”

“Boyfriend,” I corrected, rolling my eyes.

“What’s a boyfriend?” Lou asked, standing next to the raven-haired woman.

“Sodalis,” Minnie winked.

“Ooooh,” the purple-haired girl gasped, smiling wildly. “You have a Sodalis?”

“Y-yeah,” I blushed, before mumbling, “Please come here, Louis.”

Almost immediately, the caramel-haired boy appeared, presenting himself to the side of the vanity. He was dressed in a rather formal, rather beautiful brown suit, with his hair slicked back.

“You called?” He bowed slightly at the women, before slightly twisting his head to face me and freezing. The blue eyes ran over my body slowly, letting his mouth barely drop open. He looked drunk, gazing at me for a very long time which caused me to bite my lower lip. “You look beautiful,” he finally admitted.

The blood rushed to my face, and I was so glad for the veil. “Thank you,” I mumbled, rubbing my upper arm nervously. “We’re, uh, ready to go downstairs, if you want to take us.”

“I’d be happy to,” he nodded, slipping his hand into mine while stiffly touching his fingers to Minnie’s shoulder.

“See you down there,” Lou said, before suddenly we were in a different room.

“Here you are,” the caramel-haired boy offered, quickly letting go of the woman. His fingers were tense around mine to the point of being uncomfortable, alluding to how nervous he was. Not that I was surprised, really; almost his entire life, she’s been the Oracle, the most important person in the Kingdom.

“Hey,” I breathed, turning to face him. I removed my hand from his to lift the veil over his head as well, so we could talk privately- although we both knew it wasn’t really private. “Multum te amo.”

“God, Harry,” he whispered, wrapping his hands around my bare waist. “I can’t believe I’m in the same room as the Oracle- as both Oracles.”

“Can you believe that you’re sleeping with an Oracle?” I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Or that you’re the Oracle’s Private Servant?”

“The disbelief comes and goes,” he shrugged, smiling slightly. “And I’m not your private servant yet, you know that.”

“You know better than anyone that I’m just a normal guy,” I mumbled, leaning forward to peck his lips. “She’s just a normal girl.”

“Yeah, but she’s, you know,” he made a face that I took to be squeamish. “She’s higher than the King. I grew up _praying_ to her every morning.”

“I don’t know how to respond to that,” I admitted, with an apologetic smile. “She reminds me of my sister? I don’t know, maybe she’ll remind you of yours.”

He blinked several times, before leaning in to peck my lips. “I’m being called, I have to go serve drinks.”

“You don’t have to do this-”

“I’m still a messenger for the next three days,” he interrupted, setting his finger on my lips. “Multum te amo. I really like you. Diligo. All that jazz.”

“You too, darling,” I hummed, kissing him one more time before he was gone. The veil flipped back down, tickling my nose. After spinning on my heel, I felt the blood rush to my cheeks at the look Minnie was giving me.

“So when are you going to tell him that you’re in love with him?” She asked, crossing her arms inquisitively.

“Is it that obvious?” I stammered, once again thankful that the veil hid my blush.

“Oh yeah. You might as well have said your wedding vows right there. So when are you going to tell him?”

“Maybe after the ball,” I shrugged, rubbing my upper arm. “I haven’t decided.”

“What if you got down on one knee during the ball, and tell him?” the raven-haired girl suggested, adjusting her robes. “Let the entire world know that you, Oracle Styles, are already taken?”

“Would that be a good idea?”

“No, not really.”

I laughed.

“Come on,” she rolled her eyes, patting my back. “They’re expecting us now.”

The doors opened in front of us, revealing bright lights, soft chamber music, and lots of applause. My heart was in my throat, and, for a second, so was my lunch. I followed the raven-haired woman out onto the balcony, taking a look at all the assorted faces.

Minnie raised her hands to silence the crowd, and I could see her arms tremble; She had told me she was shy. “I, Oracle Minerva Reed, hereby give my role as Oracle to the next in line,” she called, gesturing towards me. “Oracle Harry Styles.”

I nodded slowly, feeling everyone’s gaze switch to me.

“Take off your veil,” she whispered with a hushed force.

Slamming my eyes shut as my hands shakily lifted the sheer fabric away from my face, I alternated between holding my breath and short, desperate breaths. It fell over the back of my hair, letting everyone see who I was; It took a long moment before I was able to open my eyes and face them.

“I will stay in the Castle,” she continued, addressing the crowd. “As I will be taking over the role of his Advisor until he can continue on his own.” Her hands dropped back down, earning a round of applause. “Your turn, Harry,” she whispered. “Just say a few words, and then step back.”

“Right,” I stammered, gripping the sleeves to calm me down. My eyes ran over the crowd, before landing on a familiar face; Louis was standing there, in between Zayn and General Payne, holding a tray of champagne flutes. His eyes were wide and full of awe, which gave me a little bit of courage. “Err,” I said loudly, my voice echoing in the large room. “Hi.”

A few people laughed, including Louis.

“I’m, uh, Harry, and, uh, I don’t really like public speaking,” I rambled, blushing slightly. I could feel my brain empty of all intelligence. “But I’ll try my best with whatever you expect me to do, and, uh, hopefully I’ll get to meet all of you.” After swallowing forcefully, I finished with, “That’s really all I have to say, so I’m gonna step back and stop making a fool of myself.”

This time, everyone laughed along with applauding. In the crowd, Louis nodded slightly, breaking into a toothy grin. He said something to his companions, who both instantly twisted in to face him with shock on their face.

With a small wave, I turned on my heel to face the raven-haired woman, who was doubled over with laughter.

“Did I do okay?” I asked, stepping next to her with a grin.

“You’re an idiot,” she spat between gasps of air.

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” I teased, rolling my eyes. “Now what, do we stand here? Or…?”

After a moment, she managed to stand up again, dabbing her eyes to wipe her tears of laughter away. “We’re gonna go downstairs, and people are going to introduce themselves,” she explained, still a little giggly. “You’ll be asked to dance by assorted royalty, and I’ll let you know whether or not you have to.”

“Have to?”

“Of course,” she continued as we slowly descended the stairs. “You should dance with everyone who asks, but there are some people for whom it’s absolutely required.”

“Why’s that?” I breathed, glancing around; Niall and Penelope joined either side of us, both carrying sheathed swords, and both wearing matching Uniforms.

“Our Kingdoms aren’t exactly in good graces,” Minnie whispered, nodding curtly to a small group of Royal-looking people. “I’m not saying you have to sleep with them, but you do have to pay quite a bit of attention to them.”

“Alright,” I said, also nodding towards the group as we passed them by. “You’ll tell me which ones, right?”

“Of course,” she hummed, taking her place in a throne at the front of the room. “Here, Harry, sit next to me.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled, sitting myself down in the throne next to hers. “I am sitting in a throne. Never in my life did I think I’d be sitting in a throne.”

“I know,” the raven-haired girl laughed, gesturing towards Niall. “Get ready Harry, you’re about to meet everyone.”

One by one, assorted people came up; a few who were apparently local, and a few who were from outside the Kingdom. Minnie recognized one or two, greeting them by name.

“Excuse me,” a man interrupted, bowing deeply in front of me. “I’m Lord Noah Williams, from the Kingdom of Wyles.”

“Uh,” I stammered, bowing my head. “I’m Oracle Styles.”

“I know who you are,” he grinned, straightening up. “I was wondering if you would entertain the idea of a dance with me.”

“I, uh,” I mumbled, glancing at the raven-haired woman, who nodded. “Yeah, I’ll dance with you.”

He offered me his hand with a smile, and, nervously, I took it, standing up slowly. The man lead me out to the dance floor, stopping in the middle before turning to me. His hand slid onto my bare waist, tugging me slightly closer.

“Do you dance much?” Noah asked, holding my hand up in the air.

“N-no, I don’t,” I admitted, shrugging embarrassedly. “I’m not really sure what I should be doing.”

“Follow my lead,” he chuckled, before stepping backwards. Quickly following into his motions, I kept my eyes on my feet. “So, Harry- may I call you Harry?”

“Please do,” I nodded, stumbling slightly.

“Alright, but please call me Noah,” he smiled. “So, Harry, what do you do in your free time?”

“Recently? I’ve been staying in my room and, uh-” What was I supposed to say? Making out with my boyfriend?- “Sleeping, really.”

He let out a loud laugh. “That sounds more or less exactly like a perfect night,” he beamed, not even wincing as I stepped on his foot. “I wish I could do that- my friends have been taking me out almost every night so I can meet someone.”

“And have you?”

“I’m dancing with you, aren’t I?” he winked. As we fell into rhythm, I took a long look at him; he certainly wasn’t _bad_ looking. His skin was tanned, especially when compared to his long platinum blond, almost white hair, braided and allowed to hang over his shoulder. The white of his suit seemed to make him look even more tan, and his smile was quite pretty. “Besides,” he shrugged, breaking my concentration. “I heard from one of the townsfolk that you like boys too.”

“Y-yeah,” I stammered, blushing heavily. “Yeah, I just don’t find girls attractive.”

“I’m the same,” Noah laughed, tightening his grip on my hip. “There’s just something about boys.”

The song ended, and he let go of me to clap for the band.

“Hey,” he breathed. “Wanna go stand outside for a second, get away from everyone here?”

It sounded good, but-

“May I offer you two some Sorbitium?” a voice interrupted, forcing us both to turn around; There, behind us, was a very jealous looking Louis. He was all but glaring at Noah, and had placed himself between us.

“Oh, yes, please,” the blond agreed, lifting two glasses and handing one to me. “Thank you.”

“Thanks,” I said, shooting the caramel-haired boy an apologetic look. “Yeah, Noah, that sounds fun.”

“Please enjoy your night,” Louis bowed, and has he stood up, I mouthed, _I’ll explain later_.

“Come on, Harry,” the blond grinned, taking my hand- holding my hand- and leading me out to the garden.

The crisp winter air hit me strongly, hitting my belly and face. The night sky was clear, almost every single star was visible; the hedge maze around us was illuminated by the bright moonlight.

“God, the weather here is so much different than in Wyles,” Noah chuckled, still holding my hand as we stepped through the labyrinth. “Right now, we’re in the middle of one of the hottest Nyx ever recorded.”

“So like, Australia,” I murmured to myself, nodding slowly.

“Huh? Yeah,” the blond blinked, taking a sip of his drink. “That’s one of the neighboring outside countries by us.”

“I’ve never been to Australia, but I’ve always wanted to,” I admitted, trying to make conversation. “What is Wyles like?”

“It’s a bit like this Kingdom, but smaller,” he explained, leading us to the middle of the maze and sitting down on a bench. “I think everyone is a lot more friendly, but that’s probably just because of the size. I have to ask- is it true that you haven’t developed your Munus?”

I rolled my eyes, and leaned back to show my belly better. “Yeah, I’m still unawoken,” I shrugged.

“Wow,” he breathed, taking a long look. “So it’s true.”

After a long, awkward silence, I mumbled, “do you have any family?”

“Yes!” He lit up at, his smile growing wider than I’ve ever seen. “I have an older brother, and two younger brothers. They’re amazing, and really intelligent- my older brother is the King, actually.”

“Wow,” I murmured, taking a sip of the sorbitium, or whatever; it seemed to just be champagne. “What’s that like?”

“It’s stressful,” he rolled his eyes. “My parents expected a whole lot out of me, and I’m just a healer- I only have the Lord title because of my brother.”

“Healers are very important,” I insisted, setting my hand on his upper arm to try and comfort him. “I actually had to go see the healer on the first day of classes.”

“Yeah? What for?”

“One of the girls in my combat class knocked me out with a wooden blade to the temple,” I laughed, taking another sip of the bubbly alcohol. “It’s no surprise that she’s a royal guard now.”

He chuckled, setting his free hand on my knee. “Not so great with a sword?”

“Terrible, actually,” I shrugged, watching his hand uncomfortably. “What about you?”

“I can handle myself,” Noah replied, gazing at me with awe and something I couldn’t place. “I should protect you.”

“Just because I’m no good with a sword doesn’t mean I can’t protect myself,” I huffed, swallowing nervously. “I’ve learned some magic that you couldn’t even dream of.”

“Yeah?” His hand slid up my thigh as he scooted closer. “Like what?”

“I can- I can kill you with a wave of my hand,” I lied, trying to nonchalantly push him away.

“Harry,” he breathed, setting his glass down. “I have to be honest. I want to kiss you.”

That was enough for me. I shot to my feet, getting out of his reach and backing up against one of the hedges. “Noah, I think we should- we should head back to the ball.”

“Come on, Harry, no one will know,” he hummed, standing up as well. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“I’m really not comfortable with this,” I whispered, glancing around. There really was no one around.

“Harry.”  
“Louis-” I called, slamming my eyes shut as the tanned boy stepped closer.

Instantly, a plate full of champagne flutes crashed to the ground by my feet as a figure appeared between us.

“Back the fuck up,” the caramel-haired boy hissed, flipping a knife out of his pocket.

“You’re that servant from earlier,” Noah laughed, rolling his eyes. “You can’t hurt me. You’d get in so much trouble. Aren’t you just a messenger?”

“‘m not a messenger,” he retorted, keeping his back to my chest in an attempt to protect me. “I’m the Oracle’s personal servant.”

“Louis,” I breathed, grabbing his arm. “Just take me back inside, I can talk to Minnie, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

He blinked me back into the room, then was gone.

“Oracle Styles,” Penelope gasped, stepping up to me.”Is everything alright? Where is Lord Williams?”

“He, uh,” I turned to her, and remembered instantly that she was a guard. “He tried to kiss me-  Where’s Louis?”

“Harry?” Niall whispered, also moving in. “What’s going on?”

“I think Louis is trying to attack Noah Williams,” I stammered, turning to the doors. “You gotta stop him, he’s gonna get hurt.”

“I’ll go,” Penelope offered, before hurrying towards the hedge maze.

“What happened?” the blond boy asked, escorting me back to the thrones.

“Noah tried to force himself on me, I called Louis, and Louis pulled out a knife then sent me back,” I stammered, adjusting my veil on the back of my head. “I don’t want Lou to get hurt.”

“Louis was best in combat class,” a voice interrupted, as Liam joined us on my other side, the side that the blond wasn’t on. “He beat me a few times, actually, but he lacked motivation to do anything with it. Trust me, he won’t get hurt.”

“General,” Niall exclaimed, standing a little straighter than a moment previously. “Were you listening?”

“I heard Louis’ name, so of course I was listening,” the man shrugged. “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’d be more worried about this Lord Williams guy.”

“Please just call me Harry,” I begged, collapsing in the chair next to Minnie. “And I really just want to call you Liam. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, if you wish,” he nodded with a soft smile. “So you said Louis just took out a knife? That’s not like him.”

“That’s what I thought,” I huffed.

“He prefers rapiers and daggers,” Liam hummed, looking over his shoulder at the garden. “I wonder if he’s feeling okay.”

“That makes me really uncomfortable,” I chuckled nervously, as Minnie leaned over.

“What happened with Lord Williams? I thought you were going to come right back after the dance,” she furrowed her brows, looking at me with concern.

“He tried to kiss me,” I sighed, beginning to get annoyed with how often I had to repeat it. “Louis came to save the day.”

“Oh no,” she groaned, standing up. “I’ll go talk to King Edward of Wyles about his brother.”

“Thank you,” I called after her. My head dropped slightly, and I let out a long sigh. “Liam, is Louis violent?”

“Lou? No way. Not unless you piss him off,” the brunette said with a grin. "Then he’s the strongest motherfucker in the world- but he’d never hurt you, Harry.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because he can’t hurt someone he loves.”

My face flushed heavily, and I covered my cheeks with my hands. “Don’t tease me,” I whimpered, shaking my head back and forth.

“Uh, General,” Niall grinned. “Harry here is _deeply_ in love with Louis.”

“Yeah, and Louis feels the same,” a third voice joined in, revealing itself as Zayn’s.

“Stop it,” I whined, failing to fight the grin. “I won’t believe it until I hear him say it myself!”

“Come on, Hazza,” the blond laughed. “It’s obvious- it’s not like you guys haven’t been dating for two weeks already.”

“What? Two weeks?” Liam gasped. “Louis told us it’s only been a few days, that lying bastard.”

“I told who what now?” the caramel-haired boy huffed, inserting himself right in the middle of the conversation.

“You didn’t tell us Harry’s been your boyfriend for two weeks!” Zayn hissed, crossing his arms.

“What the fuck is a boyfriend?” both Louis and Liam asked at the same time.

“Sodalis,” the rest of us answered in synch.

“You told them?” the caramel-haired boy blushed, furrowing his brow. “I was going to break it to them softly.”

“I can’t believe you’ve been dating him since pretty much the first day,” the raven-haired man said angrily. “You know you’re not supposed to date the Liberi.”

“You know, I have a say in this whole Sodalis thing too,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “I wanted this as well.”

“I’ll warn you right now,” Niall interrupted, raising his eyebrows. “Harry does not give up. He’s stubborn and he won’t let you convince him that what he’s doing is wrong.”

“Only in this case,” I huffed. “I’m dead set on this relationship.”

-

Louis tucked me into bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress. He had just finished helping me change out of my formal outfit and into the shirt he had been wearing all night; it smelled like him and was really, really comfortable.

“Did you enjoy the ball, princess?” he hummed, brushing the hair out of my face.

“Mostly,” I mumbled, probably a little drunker than I should’ve been- Niall had kept a steady stream of sorbitium in my hand all night.

“Alright,” he grinned, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Other than Lord _No-Willy_ of _Whinys_ , did you enjoy your night?”

Through laughs and giggles, I managed to nod a little; that was officially the funniest thing I had ever heard in my entire life. “Yeah, yeah!”

“Good,” the caramel-haired boy cooed, pecking my lips. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

“Whaaaaaaat?” I whined, grabbing his arm and pouting. “Won’t you cuddle for a little while?”

“It’s past midnight already,” he sighed, kissing my nose. “I want to, babe, but I have to be back in bed as soon as I can.”

“Just until I fall asleep?”

He rolled his eyes, but laid next to me with a soft smile. “You’re absolutely perfect sometimes,” Louis whispered, lacing our fingers together. “I’m so happy I met you, and I’m so happy that you feel the same way about me.”

“I wanna spend the rest of my life with you,” I mumbled, closing my eyes with a soft little giggle.

Lips pressed against mine softly, gently coaxing me into sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is bottom!louis in this chapter, if you want to skip that.

My eyes flickered open at the dim light coming through the curtains, but closed again from comfort. The blanket was so warm, and the arm around my waist was so protective.

“G’mornin,” I mumbled, rolling to face the body.

The boy let out a soft little snore, unconsciously pulling me closer.

“Aw, babe,” I breathed, kissing his forehead. “Did you fall asleep, waiting for me to wake up?”

Then it dawned on me.

He was still wearing his suit from last night, save for the shirt I had taken.

“Oh my god, Louis,” I gasped, quickly sitting up in shock. “Louis, wake up, you’ve got to wake up-”

“‘mm up,” he groaned, rolling over away from me. “What do you even want, anyways..?”

“Louis, it’s 9:30,” I stammered, glancing at the clock. “You fell asleep- you’re going to get in trouble.”

I watched the reality dawn on his face- slowly changing his expression from sleepy to terrified.

“I’m going to die,” he whispered, his eyes widening.

“I can talk to whoever,” I stammered, grabbing his hands to try and stop their trembling. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“You don’t understand, Harry,” Louis stated, slamming his eyes shut as he rested his forehead on my shoulder. “Not only was I not in bed last night, but I was with the _Oracle_. I might as well have dug my own grave.”

“Louis-”

“I’m just,” he sniffled. “I’m just glad I got to spend my last night with you.”

“You’re not going to die,” I huffed, wrapping my arms around his waist to hold him tight. “Anyone who even tries will face my wrath.”

“Harry…” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my collarbone. “I just… If I do die, I want you to know that I lo-”

“Stop,” I blushed, clapping one hand over his mouth. “I want our c-confessions to be special.”

The blue eyes glanced up, wet with tears yet full of hope. “You mean..?”

“I feel the same, Louis,” I swallowed nervously, sliding my hand from his mouth to his cheek. “And I want to say it to you in a perfect place, at the perfect time.”

The caramel-haired boy nodded slowly, chewing on his lip. “What if we never get the chance, Hazza? They’re gonna want to see me ripped to pieces.”

“Come on,” I blushed, getting up off the side of the bed. “Stand up, let me do something.”

He shakily got to his feet, brows furrowed in confusion as I lowered myself to one knee.

“Louis, this is the way that Humans ask to marry each other,” I began, taking his hand while making eye contact. “You’re the most important person in my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, waking up in your arms and falling asleep to your breathing.”

“Harry-”

“In fact,” I continued, swallowing my pride. “I would stay here, in this Kingdom, forever, if it meant I could stay with you. I’ll give up all dreams of England at your whim- as long as you promise to marry me.”

“Yes,” Louis agreed, using his free hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. “On one condition- you take me to England, away from here.”

“I promise,” I grinned, standing up to kiss him passionately. His hands cupped my cheeks, pulling me closer to him. Losing my balance slightly, I tipped him back onto the mattress, my hands resting on either side of his head- which effectively pinned him down.

“Multum te amo,” the caramel-haired boy gasped against my lips, failing to hide the smile.

“God, yeah,” I replied between kisses. “I never want to lose you, ever.”

“You won’t,” he hummed, before his fingers dug into my skin. “I’m being called, Harry, they’re calling me for a trial.”

“I thought you said there wasn’t a trial,” I breathed.

“I mean, they call me into a room and they tell me what I did wrong,” Louis explained, trembling. “And then they tell me my punishment, and then they kill me.”

“Let’s get dressed,” I sighed, lifting up from where I had been straddling him to walk us to the wardrobe. “You can’t wear what you wore last night, that’s suspicious.”

“I can’t wear your clothes, that’s even worse!”

“You’re my uxor now,” I huffed, opening the closet door. “You can wear mine if you want to.”

He sighed, but started ruffling through my wardrobe anyways.

-

We were standing in a large, dark room, both of us breathing heavily. He was in the middle, while I was off to one side. King Zachary Christon and Queen Willow Balch (both of who were just named the new royalty) were sitting in thrones in front of us, with guards on either side.

“Messenger Louis Tomlinson,” Willow boomed, glaring down at the boy. “You were marked missing from your bedroom last night, and witnesses remember last seeing you take His Majesty, the Oracle, back to his room.”

“How do you explain the missing time?” Zachary raised one eyebrow, a sadistic grin on his face.

“I was with the Oracle all night,” Louis stammered, gripping at the hem of the red shirt he had taken from my closet. “At the ball last night, one of the guests tried to force themselves onto him, and he asked me to stay for protection.”

“Why would he ask you, and not one of the guards?”

“We-we’re friends,” the caramel-haired boy shrugged.

“Can His Majesty, the Oracle, confirm this?”

“No,” I breathed, slamming my eyes shut. I never could lie. “What he said is, uh, not true. I mean, we are friends, but- the other part. That’s false.”

“ _Harry_ ,” Louis gasped, looking at me with wide eyes.

“Is that so?” The King grinned, gesturing towards the guards. “Kill him.”

“No, wait,” I continued, stepping forward. “I, uh, I’d like to explain.”

“You have the floor,” the Queen sighed.

“Louis here, is, uh, my Uxor,” I said as I crossed the floor to his side. “And last night I asked him to stay, because I wanted to, uh, cuddle, I suppose. He was only supposed to be around for a few minutes, but then we both fell asleep, and, yeah.”

“I refuse to believe that,” the King laughed. “Why would you want to be with him for any reason other than blackmail?”

“Are you doubting me, The Oracle?” I asked, straightening my back to try and appear more confident. “Louis is my everything.”

“Harry,” the caramel-haired boy whispered shakily. “Harry, this is a bad idea.”

“How many people were aware of your arrangement?” Willow asked.

“General Liam Payne, Professor Zayn Malik,” Louis started, before glancing up at me. “Who else?”

“Uh, Niall Horan, the previous Oracle, Minnie, and I think that’s it?” I finished, clutching his hand tightly. “Not all of them were really accepting, but they all knew about it.”

“Go get them- all except the previous Oracle, let's not bother her,” Zachary said to a guard, who nodded before turning away to leave. “So you are serious about your engagement?”

“Yes,” I stated, tightening my grip. “I am.”

“Me too.”

“Prove it.”

I rolled my jaw, turning towards the caramel-haired man. He looked up at me carefully, refusing to break eye contact. My free arm snaked around his waist as he pressed his lips to mine. It was forced and cold, and it felt barely like anything. My head twisted slightly, slotting our lips together firmly, releasing his hand to tangle it in his hair.

“Haz-” he mumbled into my mouth, trying to push my shoulder away.

I grabbed his wrists, holding them out of the way while I forced my tongue into his mouth, exploring every crevice.  He let out a soft moan, which I swallowed down quickly.

“Alright, alright,” the Queen interrupted, clapping her hands. “We believe you.”

I pulled away slowly, opening my eyes to gaze at him; Louis was flushed, his pupils were blown, his lips were spread and red, and he just looked completely out of it. Releasing his wrists, I turned back to the royalty with a soft smirk. “So, I guess what I’m saying here is that Louis Tomlinson is protected under me, and that anyone who tries to hurt him should be punished.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Zachary nodded, just as the door opened to reveal the group of boys.

Niall ran up to me, worry in his eyes. “Is everything okay? We were told that you and Louis were in trouble?”

“The real question,” Willow called, getting everyone’s attention. “Is whether or not you knew about their engagement?”

“ENGAGEMENT?!” The boys yelled in unison, before Liam grabbed Louis by the shoulders.

“You fuckhead! He’s the fucking Oracle! What the fuck!” the brunet snapped, shaking the caramel-haired boy back and forth. “Engaged! You asshole!”

“Liam,” Zayn sighed, covering the man’s eyes with his hands from behind. “Calm down.”

“No, fuck! Engaged!?”

“Stop!” I ordered, furrowing my brows at them before glancing back up at the Queen. “The engagement just happened this morning, but they knew about our relationship.”

“That’s true,” the blond boy nodded, shocked but not angry. “We were aware, and mainly against, their relationship.”

“Alright,” She nodded. “You’re free to go.”

With a soft sigh, I thanked her and dragged the boys out of the room.

“What the fuck?” Liam asked, once we were out in the corridor. “Engaged?”

“We sorta freaked out this morning,” Louis explained, lacing our fingers together. “I thought I was gonna die, and Harry got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him.”

“The human way,” I added, blushing with a grin.

“You mean you guys still haven’t told each other you love each other?” Zayn groaned, shaking his head slightly. “Idiots.”

“We want it to be really special,” the caramel-haired boy confessed, looking up at me with awe. “Something we can be proud of.”

“You two should go on vacation, then,” Niall shrugged, still a little shell-shocked. “Go somewhere nice, have a nice day, the works.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” I murmured.

-

“I can’t believe you actually _took me_ on _vacation_ ,” Louis pouted, setting his bag of clothing down on the floor of the bedroom.

“I want to spend some time with you,” I grinned, kissing his neck from behind. “I had no idea that being Oracle came with a guest house, though.”

“Yeah,” he hummed, turning around while wrapping his arms around my neck. “There’s a room in the back garden that many Oracles have practiced in.”

“Yeah?” I asked, gently guiding him back to the bed. “Maybe we can go look at it later.”

“Harry you pervert,” he teased, rolling his eyes but falling back onto the mattress anyways. “We’ve been here two minutes, and you’re already trying to fuck me?”

“Can you blame me?”

“You’re terrible,” he grinned, connecting our lips while pulling me down onto him. Our legs slotted together, my thigh pressing against his crotch. A desperate moan left his mouth, and he bucked his hips up for more friction. “Harry-”

“You’re so beautiful,” I breathed, trailing my lips down his jaw. “Just absolutely stunning.”

“Harry, will you please fuck me?” he stammered, digging his fingers into my back.

“As in-”

“Yeah, fuck my ass,” the caramel-haired boy begged, his face turning even pinker every second. “You always seem to like it, and I just want to know how it feels- please, Harry?”

“Oh my god, yes,” I moaned, biting down on his skin to leave a mark. “I wanna fuck you so hard, so fucking hard.”

“Be gentle, please,” he whimpered, spreading his legs. “I’ve never done this, ever.”

“Whatever you want,” I murmured into his skin, before sitting up. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

A small smile crossed his thin pink lips. “I really like you, Harry.”

“I really like you too, baby,” I beamed, lifting his shirt over his head. “You mean the world to me.”

“I’ve always cared about you, and this is like a dream come true,” Louis mumbled, tugging my tunic off. “Being with you is the best feeling in the world.”

“You’re my Prince Charming,” I cooed, unbuckling his pants, then slipping them off of his legs. “You’re my King, you’re my God, but more importantly, you’re mine.”

“Fucking hell, Haz,” he groaned as my lips met his bulge. “Remember when I told you I was addicted to you?”

“Yeah?” I whispered against his covered cock.

“I think I finally understand what I meant,” the caramel-haired boy chuckled, although his legs were trembling in anticipation. “I think I meant that I can’t live without you, and I think that’s true.”

“Good thing you’ll never have to,” I replied, teasing my finger under his waistband. “I’ll always be here for you, I promise.”

“Harry,” he moaned, bucking his hip up. “Hurry up and fuck me-”

“If that’s what you really want,” I grinned, stripping him completely. “Roll over so I can open you up.” He did so, letting me admire his perfectly round bum. After sucking on my fingers to slick them up, I spread his cheeks before prodding him with my middle finger.

“Ah!” he gasped, digging his fingers into the bedsheets. “Oh my god-”

“I haven’t even put it in,” I teased, trailing a path of kisses down his spine.

“Harry _yyy_ ,” he whined, rolling his hips back against my finger. “Give me something, please!”

“Alright,” I grinned, more than willing to deliver. The tip pushed in, fighting the ring of muscles, causing him to let out a long string of both moans and profanity. “You like that?”

“M-more,” he gasped, dripping precum onto the bed. “Fuck, Harry, just fucking give me everything.”

“If I do, babe, I’ll hurt you,” I whispered, thrusting my finger in and out of his hole. “I need to open you up a little first.”

“God, Harry, I can’t wait, please- OH-”

I slipped my index in next to my middle, spreading him a little.

“A-ah, it stings, Harry, don’t stop,” Louis cried, pushing back against me. “Don’t ever stop, please!”

“I’m not stopping anytime soon,” I whispered, using my free hand to pump my cock to full length. “I’m not gonna stop until you’re cumming everywhere and crying my name.”

“A-ah, ah, ah,” he whimpered in time with my fingers, before whining as I removed them. “I thought you weren’t going to stop?”

“Roll over,” I ordered, spanking his ass hard. As he did so, I hooked his knees over my thighs, positioning my tip at his hole. “Remember, babe, breath deep and relax.”

“Y-yeah,” he nodded, gripping at the sheets desperately.

While pushing into him slowly, I let out a deep moan at how tight he was; even though only the head of my cock was in, I felt like I was going to cum right then and there. “You’re so good,” I hissed, pausing to let him adjust. “You feel amazing, Louis.”

Tears filled his eyes as he let out an extremely loud moan, throwing his head back against the pillow. “Harry!” He cried, trembling slightly.

“I’m gonna keep going, “ I breathed, resting my hands on either side of his chest as I pushed in further, bit by bit, until I had bottomed out against his ass. “How do you feel?”

“F-full,” he sobbed, gripping my wrists. “It hurts but in a good way, I think? Just wait a second...”

“As long as you need,” I said, actually thankful; anymore stimulation and this would be over before it even started. “You look beautiful like this.”

“You’re an idiot,” he huffed, trying to relax his breathing. His face was flushed and slightly sweaty, but he looked like he was glowing. “You can move a little.”

Nodding, I pulled all the way out to the tip slowly, then slowly slid back in. And god, it felt so good- precum was leaking out of me easily, making the thrusts easier.

“Fuck,” Louis snapped, scratching my arm. “Do it. Fuck me into tomorrow.”

“Come on,” I groaned, lifting his knees onto my shoulders. “I’ll make you feel good.”

With a swift flick of my hips, I earned a loud gasp, then a series of little mewls. His cock dribbled onto his belly, red and throbbing.

“Right there Harry right there there please there,” the caramel-haired man begged, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Did I hit it on the first thrust?” I teased, slamming my hips against him over and over again. “Your ass is loving my dick, isn’t it?”

“I’m gonna cum-” he whimpered, arching his back until I gripped the base of his cock tightly.

“Did I _say_ you could?”

His eyes fluttered open in shock while he shook his head.

“Then you can’t cum.”

“A-alright…” Louis moaned, trembling as I thrusted hard. His knees slid off of my shoulders and hooked over my elbows, changing the position ever so slightly.

“‘M close,” I groaned, feeling the heat in my stomach. My free hand- the one not clutching his dick- slid up to the back of his neck, pulling him in to peck his mouth. Both of his hands cupped my cheeks, slotting our lips together for a desperate, messy kiss. He tasted like chocolate and fruit, and god I was going to cum.

“Fuck, Harry,” the man whined as I began to pump his cock. “Can I…?”

“Yeah, babe, cum for me, can you cum for me?”

He let out a small whimper as white sticky semen shot out of his slit, covering my hand with it as well as his belly. “H-Harry,” he whimpered, unconsciously tightening his hole. “Harry Harry Harry~!”

With just my tip in, I filled his hole with cum while releasing a groan. “Y-yeah, Lou,” I hissed, pausing before slowly taking myself out, causing the cum to dribble down from his ass. “I love you-”

His face lit up, grinning wildly. “I love you too, Harry! I love you so much-”

He was interrupted by my screams of pain.


	20. Chapter 20

“Harry?” I gasped, watching as the boy collapsed to one side, shrieking. “Harry, what is it? Oh- oh my god, you’re awakening!”

He didn’t respond, but instead grabbed at his heart in a spasm.

“Hold still, babe, I’ll take you to the healers,” I whispered, setting my hand on his neck before closing my eyes. When they opened again, I was still in the bedroom, he was still screaming, and my powers hadn’t worked. I tried again, and again, and eventually removed my hand, shocked. “It’s not working- why isn’t it working?!”

His cries stopped, and his hands fell to his sides. My heart dropped immediately, assuming he was dead (it wasn’t common, but it wasn’t unheard of for a Liberi to have a heart attack from the pain of awakening).

“N-no,” I breathed, getting up on my knees(and wincing slightly at the pain in my lower back, mixed with the cum dripping from my ass) before pressing my fingers to his neck- there was a pulse, but he’d passed out. “Harry, for some reason I can’t move you,” I explained quietly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “But I won’t leave you. I’ll stay right here.”

The X on his lower belly started to glow, lightly at first but progressively getting brighter.

“Did you wake up because I told you I loved you?” I asked to the unconscious boy, faintly running my fingers down his face. “Because that’s strangely sweet.”

After a moment, I laid back down next to him, lacing our fingers together. It would only be a few hours, and I could wait.

-

Not even an hour later, Harry let out a little gasp, causing me to shoot straight up.

“Babe?!” I called, gazing down at him- his face was flushed and sweaty, but he was still asleep. Slightly dejected, I pressed my hand to his forehead and was shocked at how hot it was. “Babe, you’re running a fever- and a high one.”

After another second, in which I was waiting for a response although I knew I wouldn’t get one, I stood from the bed and waddled towards the bathroom. I wasn’t a healer, I couldn’t just make him better, but I could do what I knew: a cold bath, to lower his temperature.

The water coming out of the pipe was freezing, which was just what I needed, so I stopped the plug before turning back to the bedroom. If I couldn’t teleport him, I would have to carry him.

“Come here, Haz,” I whispered to the unconscious boy, slinging one of his arms around my neck. Lifting him as well as I could, I began to stumble back towards the door. “It’s a good thing you’re thin, or this could’ve been really hard.”

His head hung back over my arm, letting his long curls droop in the back while they stuck to his sweaty face. It was almost pathetic, really, seeing him like this. As I set him in the cold water, his body jerked away from me, splashing the small puddle.

“I know, babe,” I sighed, running my fingers through his hair. “It’s cold. But it’s the only thing that will help you right now.”

The water pooled around his ankles and bum, filling the tub up slowly.

“When I was a kid, my mum couldn’t afford taking me to a healer when I was sick,” I explained, taking his hand in mine. “And when I had a fever, this is what she would do for me. My dad passed away when I was really young, so until my mum remarried- which was only about a decade ago- we had a lot of money troubles. Sometimes we switched off who got to eat what meal. It was a hard way to live. But! Now, thanks to you- and I can’t thank you enough- my family will be respected a little more.”

The water was at his mid-chest now, and he was shivering a little bit, so I turned it off.

“You’ve done an amazing amount of stuff for me, Harry, and I love you for every last bit of it,” I smiled, rubbing my thumb into his palm. “I mean, I’m actually excited to wake up in the morning now, because I know I’ll get to see you and kiss you and love you, and I know that you love me back. I never would’ve thought I’d find true love, Haz, and I knew that I wouldn’t have believed anyone who told me that I did- does that make sense?”

He slid a little in the tub, dipping his shoulders in but exposing more of his legs.

“And now my soul mate is awakening because I told him I loved him!” I laughed, lifting his hand to my lips to press kisses to his knuckles. “This is something that you read about in books. I don’t know if you understand how amazing this is- your _role_ in _life_ is to either _love me_ or to _be loved_ by _me_. That’s it. That’s what your role is.”

The light from his Munus flashed, blinding me for a split second.

“Holy fuck-” I gasped, covering my eyes with my free hand. “Is that supposed to happen? What the fuck?”

When I dropped my hand, the light had dimmed back down, but was still there.

“I have no idea what’s normal,” I admitted, setting my forehead on the edge of the tub dejectedly. “The only people who ever watch an entire awakening are healers. I mean, you’re not really supposed to watch other people, and you’re knocked out for your own, so it’s not weird, I guess, but I’m worried. What if something’s wrong? I mean, I could go grab a healer, but then I’d have to get dressed and leave you, and I won’t do that. I _refuse_ to leave your side.”

His hand trembled in mine.

“I know, babe, it’s cold and it hurts,” I muttered. “I hate myself. Why can’t I fucking do anything? I can’t do anything. I can’t use my powers in the one time I need them. What a fucking cliche.”

I set my free hand against his forehead; his temperature was still ridiculously high.

“I guess I shouldn’t expect anything less,” I sighed, kissing his hand again. “I love you, Harry, and I’m gonna stay here until you’re better.”

-

Four hours later, his fever had reduced to a point where I felt it was safe to take him out of the water. I laid his body on the floor of the bathroom while I grabbed a towel from the cabinet, before drying him carefully as not to touch his Munus. The last thing I wanted was to increase the sensitivity of the pain he was feeling.

The sun was beginning to set, so I did what any good uxor would do and brought him to bed. After tucking him in well, I brushed his freezing cold, damp curls off of his face.

“Your temperature is back to normal,” I whispered, kissing his nose. “Do you want anything? Water? Food?”

He didn’t do anything, and was barely breathing, so I stood up. “I’m gonna go grab myself something to eat, and then I’ll be right back.”

I turned to leave the room, but my legs wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t leave him alone, I knew that, but apparently not even long enough to grab some food. While rolling my eyes, I simply sat back on the edge of the bed.

“I’m fucking whipped,” I groaned, running my fingers through his hair. “I love you so much that I think I’m gonna starve.”

With a soft sigh, I laid back next to him. The light from his stomach was managing to penetrate the thick duvet he was wrapped in, which was worrying. It had been several hours, and he still wasn’t any closer to being finished. Resting my head on the pillow next to his, I simply prayed that he would wake up soon.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning came and went without even the slightest peep from the boy, and eventually my stomach decided that I was going to eat something. Hesitantly, I left the bedroom (while leaving the door open, so I could keep an eye on Harry) to scrounge around in the kitchen.

“Hey, Haz,” I called, pretending that everything was normal. “Would you like anything? There’s some pasta, I could make some pasta- do you like pasta?”

Nothing responded, so I answered myself: “ _No thanks, Louis, I’m not hungry_ ,” I said out loud, lowering the pitch of my voice a bit.

“Alright babe, how about something to drink?”

“ _No, that’s okay_.”

“God, I’m so pathetic,” I snorted, starting the water on to boil. It was a good thing that no one was around, I supposed- otherwise, I’d never be able to live this down. “Harry? I love you.”

“ _I love you too, darling baby Louis. You’re my every_ -fuck, I can’t do this.”

With the water still on, I hurried back to the bed, simply to press a kiss to his lips. They were cold and unresponsive, and I felt like I was going to be sick.

“Oh Harry, this isn’t you,” I whispered, fighting tears. “The Harry I fell in love with was bouncy and caring, and you’re just… comatose. Please wake up.”

His face flinched, and the light that was on his stomach disappeared.

“Harry?!” I gasped, pulling the duvet back. The X that was there previously was gone, just completely absent. “Alright, I’m going to assume that this is the end of stage one, and next comes the actual Munus development. I think. I have no idea.”

As if to answer me, a light flashed from his chest, blindingly bright but only lasting a second.

“Holy shit, Haz,” I huffed, gazing into the mark. It looked burned on, like someone had drawn it with a piping hot needle. It was an upside down triangle, with two circles on the top? I didn’t recognize it, but then again, I was just a messenger. I’m sure it meant something important, like God or Justice, but how would I know?

“This is good,” I whispered to him, pressing my lips to his forehead. “You’re progressing. Only a little longer, I think.”

-

It was a lot longer than I could have ever imagined. The next two days passed like a blur; a blur of Harry and lights and silence. It was the fourth day after he had begun to awaken, and the stress was beginning to take its toll.

“God dammit, Harry,” I groaned, sitting on the bed with my back against the headboard. “I refuse to give up on you, but you’re pushing your luck.”

The boy did absolutely nothing, just laying there.

“I’m beginning to hate you, fuckhead,” I hissed, getting to my feet to go take a wee. As if on cue, something tugged on the hem of my sweater; I glanced to see Harry’s hand, gripping the fabric weakly. My heart fluttered as I took his hand, pressed my lips to his knuckles, then whispered, “I’m just kidding, sweetheart. I could never hate you, not ever. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

His lips turned up in a small, hazy smile, earning a small coo.

“I think you’re about to come around, Harry,” I hummed against his fingers. “I love you so much. I can’t wait until you wake up.”

-

As I tried to lay in bed next to him that night, Harry’s mark started glowing bright enough to light up the entire house. No matter how many blankets, duvets, and comforters I piled on top of him, the light was still too much for me to fall asleep with.

With a frustrated groan, I got up out of the bed to find yet another quilt, but stopped in my tracks when the light dimmed. I slowly spun on my heel, turning to glare at the boy, before whispering, “are you fucking with me?” When I took a step closer to him, the light brightened, and when I stepped back, it softened.

“Harry, you’re an asshole,” I huffed, turning my back to him and storming away. After all I was doing, he wouldn’t even let me sleep near him. Of course, after a second of being angry, I brought a chair from the dining room to sleep on, in a place where I was still near the boy without being close enough for the light to keep me up. My fingers slid against his hand, curling into his skin and gripping it gently.

“I love you, Harry,” I breathed, setting my head against the bed sleepily. “I hope you wake up tomorrow.”


	22. Chapter 22

My eyes fluttered open, gazing at the exposed beams of the ceiling. Slowly trying to figure out what happened, and why I didn’t remember anything after Louis told me he loved me, I rolled to one side. The caramel-haired boy was sitting on a chair next to the mattress, holding my hand but resting his head on the bed. He let out a soft snore, twitching his fingers against my palm.

My heart fluttered, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “I love you,” I whispered, smiling as wide as I could. I still wasn’t sure what happened, but I knew that he had taken care of me.

The boy stirred, releasing my hand to stretch. “Harry?” he yawned, glancing up at me. Immediately, his eyes widened and he shot to his feet. “Oh my god, you’re awake! How are you feeling?”

"I feel sorta tired," I shrugged, patting the bed. "Come lay with me."

"Harry, you’ve been asleep for four days," he hissed, hesitantly- as if not to hurt me- setting his hands on my shoulders. "You’re gonna be a little tired. But how are you feeling?"

"My chest sorta hurts," I said, stunned. " _Four_ days?"

"You don’t remember? I’m not surprised, actually," Louis whistled, unbuttoning the shirt I was wearing. "You started awakening, Haz baby. Started screaming and glowing and everything. See?"

I blinked several times, before dropping my chin to look at my torso; there, surrounding my left nipple, was the outline of a heart. “What the hell?”

"I was going to take you to the healers," he explained, running his finger around the line without actually touching it. "But for some reason, I couldn’t teleport while touching you."

"Has that ever happened before?"

"No, never," he shrugged, trailing his finger down my chest before pulling away. His eyes were wet with tears when he glanced up at me. "I was so worried, Harry. Most people’s awakenings only take a few hours. Yours was days, and I was convinced you were dead, everytime I looked over at you."

"I’m sorry," I whispered, taking his hands in mine. "I’m so sorry, I wish I could make it better."

"It’s not your fault, I was the one who triggered your Munus," the caramel-haired boy sighed, sitting against my chest with his face hidden in my collarbones. "I told you I loved you, and then you developed."

"That’s kinda romantic," I grinned, rubbing his back through the shirt he was wearing. "Like, I’d love to write novels about that."

"Of course you would," he chuckled, his lips brushing my skin with every word he said. "Because you’re a sap."

"My munus is a heart, it’s my destiny to be a sap," I beamed, kissing the top of his head.

"That’s not what a heart looks like," Louis scoffed, and I could almost hear him roll his eyes. "Your mark looks like a deformed triangle."

"No, this is a heart," I furrowed my brows, pulling away to point at it. "This is a heart."

"Not even close," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You must still be out of it from the pain."

"I’m serious- this is what humans draw for hearts."

"Humans are fucked up, then," he shrugged, drawing something on my skin with his finger. "A heart looks sorta like this, like an almond or something with pipes coming out of it."

"I mean, yeah," I nodded, grabbing his wrist. "We know what it looks like, anatomically. But we draw these because they’re easier."

"That’s weird," he huffed, leaning back into me. "It doesn’t resemble a heart at all."

"Sure it does," I hummed, releasing his wrist to hold his waist. "It looks like two hearts put together."

He was silent for a moment, then buried his face into my shoulder with a big grin. “Alright,” he giggled. “I can see that. Humans are saps.”

"You better believe it," I laughed, pecking my lips to his neck. "And I’m the biggest sap of all time."

"Yeah, you are," the caramel-haired boy breathed, gathering the fabric of my shirt into his fists. "And I’m the lucky boy who gets all the attention."

"I think that makes me the lucky one, actually."

"I love you so much, Harry," he whispered into my skin, soft as can be. "I love you more than life itself."

"I love you too," I said faintly, running my fingers through his hair. "You’re the only one I’ll ever love."

"I hate to ruin this," he began.

"So don’t-"

"I have to take you to the castle, to the healers," he continued, looking up at me. "You really need the care, babe. I don’t want to, but I have to."

With an exaggerated sigh, I said, “ _fiiiine_ , but you have to stay with me.”

"I wouldn’t leave you for the world," he grinned, lacing our fingers before blinking us to the infirmary. "Marie!"

"Coming," the woman’s voice came, tired. I recognized her from the time Niall woke up, and the figure next to her looked familiar(it took a moment to realize it was one of the other Liberi.) "Louis, what a pleasant surprise."

"His Majesty the Oracle has developed his Munus," Louis bowed, stepping away from me as she approached. "My power was unresponsive when I tried to move him."

"Let’s just check you out, then," she hummed, opening my shirt up. "Well, the Munus is in great shape, no discoloration or signs of infection, and how do you feel, Your Majesty?"

"I feel great," I smiled, catching the caramel-haired boy’s eyes. "I feel on top of the world."

"Then I think you’re fine," Marie nodded, pressing her fingers to my forehead. "Just a quick clean up of any residue of the pain, and you’re good. Next, I’d go to the Professors to see what it means."

"That’s what we were planning," Louis said, reaching his fingers towards me. "To Zayn?"

"To Zayn!"

He blinked again, and then we were in a bedroom. My eyes immediately landed on the bed, where two people were obviously and loudly making out. The one on top was recognizable as the raven-haired man, while the one underneath was a little more hidden.

A large hand tangled in the jet black hair, pulling him down, when Louis cleared his throat.

"Sorry," he blushed, setting his hands over my eyes.

"Holy fucking fuck- LOUIS!" Liam’s voice yelled, as loud scrambling came from the area where the bed was. "Fucking hell! Fuck you!"

"And you brought Harry?" Zayn gasped. "You’re an asshole!"

"Please get dressed," the caramel-haired boy said with a laugh. "We have a question for Z."

"You could’ve called ahead, or at least knocked!" the brunet hissed, his voice coming closer. "You know we don’t want anyone to know about us."

"For fuck’s sake, he’s the Oracle," Louis sassed. "He would know about you guys eventually."

"K-know about what?" I stammered, trying to play innocent. "I probably never would’ve figured it out."

"Liam’s the General, though," Zayn sighed, also coming closer. "By law, the General always has to ask the Oracle for their blessing of the marriage."

"Oh. Well, I mean," I shrugged, still blinded. "You guys have my blessing, for sure. If you want it."

"Of course I want it," Liam snapped, causing me to flinch back.

"Don’t be rude," the raven-haired man huffed. Louis dropped his hand, revealing the couple who were both flushed, half-dressed, and refusing to make eye contact with anyone. "Anyways, you said you had a question?"

"Yeah, I developed my Munus," I hummed, lifting one side of my button down shirt to show the mark. "What does it mean?"

He leaned in while furrowing his brow to get a better look. “I don’t recognize it off the top of my head, but if you’ve got time, I can look through a few books.”

"He’s got time," the brunet growled, taking Louis by the arm and dragging him to the corner. We heard something about knocking, and how he was _so close_ to getting laid, and that Lou owed him some million favors.

Zayn blushed, rolling his eyes. “Sorry about him, he can have a bit of a temper.”

"I don’t mind," I smiled, shrugging one shoulder. "I think you guys make a cute couple. I never would’ve guessed."

"Yeah," he grinned, leading me to a few bookshelves. "We were in the same year as Louis, and he and Liam were best friends. Louis ‘accidentally’ tripped me in combat class, Liam came over to help me up, and we’ve been together ever since."

"Just like that? From first sight?"

"Immediately," he said wistfully, a far-off look in his eyes. "I just knew, I guess. It took him a little while to tell Louis, but he’s been nothing short of supportive. He was even the best man at our secret wedding."

"That’s really romantic," I sighed faintly, sitting down at a table by the books. "Was he there when you developed your Munus?"

"Yeah, and I was there when he developed his- actually, he developed his because of me," the raven-haired boy laughed, going through the books just by touching his finger to the spine. "We were dueling in class, and he managed to knock my sword out of my hand, which apparently caused him to awake."

"That’s not as romantic," I grinned, drawing hearts into the table with my finger.

"So what triggered yours? I mean, Yasmine and I tried literally everything we could think of."

"Louis told me he loved me," I blushed, turning to look at the corner where the caramel-haired man was still getting chewed out. "And apparently that was enough."

A book slammed on the table, and as I glanced upwards at Zayn, he looked disbelieving. “Love. Louis’ _love_ was what awoke you? That’s- that’s _unheard_ of.”

"There wasn’t much else," I shrugged, rubbing my forearm nervously. "I mean, we had just had sex, if that’s more likely to be the cause."

"No, because then you would be a messenger," he groaned, sitting down across from me. "You’re definitely an Oracle, and you should have a circle. Every single Oracle has had a circle, from the very beginning. There’s no reason for you to have anything different. Except…"

"You don’t think…?"

"I think that’s why," he nodded, setting his hand on the large book. "You’re familiar with the legend, right? The man who gave the power to Oracle Tumlen? In some written versions, she comments on his inverted triangle mark. Yours sort of looks like an inverted triangle, yeah?"

"So what does it mean?" Louis interrupted, setting his hand on my shoulder from behind. Liam plopped down on a chair next to the raven-haired man, content but obviously not finished.

"I’ll be honest," Zayn sighed. "I have no idea. There’s only two people who could tell us, and they’re both long dead."

"I have the same Munus as what’s-his-face, the original?" I gaped, clenching my hands to keep from trembling. "Why?"

"Probably because of- you know."

"Because of what?" the caramel-haired man asked, furrowing his brows. "What do you know?"

"You never told him?" Zayn whispered, surprised.

"You told me not to!"

"Tell me _what_ ," Louis demanded, gripping my shoulder tight.

“It’s nothing,” I tried, giving him a weak smile.

“Harry, I’m your Uxor. You can tell me anything, you know that.”

"I’m uh, I’m a half-blood prince," I offered, trying to make light of the situation, before it dawned on me that they wouldn’t know what that was a reference to. "I’m half human. Zayn thinks that it’ll change what I’m capable of."

"I mean," the raven-haired man shrugged. "You’re the first male Oracle, you have the Munus of the very first Eximius, you're the first person to _ever_ have it over your heart, and you awoke because someone told you they loved you. That’s not normal, even by our standards."

"You’re human," he repeated, closing his eyes to try to take it in. "Which side of the family?"

"Mum’s," I whispered, getting to my feet. "But it doesn’t change anything, Lou, I’m still me."

"Of course it doesn’t fucking change anything," he huffed, snaking his arms around my waist. "But I’m still allowed to be shocked by it."

With a relieved grin, I replied, “You’re the best.”

“I better be the only.”

“Louis is the jealous type,” Liam hummed, tapping his fingers against the table. “I mean, when Zayn and I started dating, he told me that he was getting jealous of how much time I was spending with him.”

“I’ll shank you,” Louis hissed, his face pinkening slightly as he turned to the brunet. “Don’t say things you don’t need to.”

“I think it’s cute,” I giggled, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

“Not in front of other people,” the caramel-haired boy stammered, clapping his hand over my mouth. “I don’t know what it’s like in the human world, but we don’t do that here.”

“It’s sort of considered ruining the sanctity of marriage, to show affection in front of other people,” Zayn explained, slipping his hand into his lover’s. “I mean, I never even saw my parents kiss until my dad was on his deathbed.”

“That’s horrible,” I gasped, pouting slightly. “My parents were- well, when they were good, they were great.”

“Yeah, but your mom was human,” the brunet shrugged. “It’s different.”

“So wait, what about your dad?” Louis asked, keeping his arms around me. “You lived with your mom in England, right?”

“Huh? Oh, my dad left when I was a child,” I admitted. “I didn’t know him very well.”

“I’m so sorry,” he quickly breathed, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear. “What was the funeral like?”

“Funeral? No, my dad isn’t dead,” I chuckled, slightly confused how they jumped straight to that. “He lives in L.A. They just got a divorce.”

“What’s a deevors?” Liam blinked.

“Do you guys not have them?” I bit my lip, trying to think of how to describe it; I guess that explained why everyone kept giving my their regards. “It’s when two people stop loving each other, and they end their marriage.”

“Is there _any_ good reason for that?” Zayn gasped, actually stunned. “Even if two people stop loving each other, they should stay together for the sake of their children.”

“It didn’t work that way for my family,” I sighed, taking a seat by the table and forcing Louis into the chair next to mine. “My parents got violent. My dad would throw things at my mum, and my mum would hit my dad. My sister and I would sit up in our bedroom, crying in fear and praying for it to stop.”

“That happens all the time here,” Louis said with a nonchalant shrug. “That usually ends the marriage, since one of the parents die.”

“First of all, that’s terrifying,” I hissed, furrowing my brow. “And second, it didn’t stop there. I was so fucking unhappy that I was afraid of going home. I was so terrified that I stepped out in front of a car.”

“Oh my god,” Zayn breathed, reaching his free hand across the table for me. “Holy shit, Harry.”

“Wait, what’s a kahr?” Liam asked under his breath to the raven-haired man.

“It’s like a large metal horse that can go really fast,” he explained, patting his husband’s hand. “If it hits you, you probably will die.”

“You tried to kill yourself?” Louis whispered, his eyes wide.

“That wasn’t the worst part,” I continued. “That night, when I was in the hospital- which is, uh, the human version of healers- all my parents did was fight. They blamed each other, not understanding the real issue. And about a week after I was released, when they were fighting again, I got in the middle and told them to stop. They transferred all their anger, their abuse, their violence- all of it was put on me.”

“They beat you?” the caramel-haired boy dropped his shoulders, looking at me with such pity that it brought the entire experience back.

“I was hospitalized again, and my parents decided that they were risking too much by staying together,” I shrugged. “So they got a divorce, my dad moved to America, and I haven’t seen him since.”

“I hate to say this,” Zayn started. “But I think that a divorce isn’t such a bad thing, in this case.”

Louis simply held me tight, digging his fingers into my back. “I’m so glad you’re alive,” he breathed, digging his nose into my neck. “Promise me we’ll never get that bad.”

“Never,” I agreed, closing my eyes as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “And we’ll never take it out on our kids, either.”

“Our kids,” he repeated, grinning against my skin. “I like the sound of that.”

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry for the spam; I finally got my internet back after writing around ten thousand words.

“We should go show Minnie my Munus,” I said after a few hours of us hanging out. “We’ll be back eventually, alright?”

“Alright,” Zayn smiled, waving at us. “We’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Next time, _knock_ ,” Liam huffed, pointing straight at Louis’ chest. “I swear to God, if you don’t-”

“You can’t do anything, because I’m better with a sword than you,” the caramel-haired boy teased, sticking his tongue out. “So there.”

“Yeah, but I’m higher status, so I can get you in trouble.”

“Not anymore,” he laughed. “I’m the Oracle’s Personal Assistant, bitch.”

“Harry!” the brunet whined. “You can’t do that, that’s my only bargaining point!”

“Sorry,” I shrugged, grabbing Louis’ hand. “Come on babe, let’s go.”

“Sounds good,” he grinned, blinking us into my bedroom. “But before we do, I think we need to talk.”

“About what..?”

“You know, before you developed your mark, we, uh, fucked,” he shrugged, slipping his arms into my back pockets. “And we didn’t get a chance to talk about it, because you passed out.”

“Oh, right,” I blushed, chewing my lower lip. “You bottomed.”

“And, if it’s, uh, okay with you,” he swallowed, looking away nervously. “I’d rather not do that again.”

“Was it that bad?”

“No, no, it was amazing,” the caramel-haired man quickly defended, pulling me snug against him. “But I’m not a fan of giving up control, and my ass still stings.”

“Alright,” I said with a kiss. “I can live with that.”

“You’re a doll,” he grinned, kissing me again. “I love you, and I love how you do whatever I ask. It makes me feel selfish.”

“Well,” I grinned. “one, you can be as selfish as you want around me, and two, I liked fucking you, but I don’t think I could do it again. I don’t like hurting you.”

“So it worked out,” he laughed. “That’s really fucking perfect.”

“Well, love finds a way,” I teased, holding him tighter. “I’m sorry for kissing you in front of your friends.”

“I’m sorry for dropping you in a room while my friends were getting it on,” Louis retorted, pressing his lips to my nose. “Although let’s be honest, they’re terrible at it.”

“You can’t say that,” I gasped, trying to fight laughter. “Liam would kill you if he heard.”

“Look,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It’s a pretty well known fact that everyone here sorta sucks. We don’t get a chance to practice, and we don’t really get to have a lot of time to experiment- and a lot of us don’t know how to experiment.”

“That’s a shame,” I sighed, pressing him up against the wall with my hands on either side of his head. “It’s a good thing we do.”

“I thought we were going to go visit Oracle Reed,” the caramel-haired boy murmured, his eyes fogged over with lust.

“We’ll get there,” I hummed, nibbling on his neck. “Or are you in such a rush?”

“Fuck, Harry,” he groaned, tilting his head back to give me more area. “I want you so badly.”

“Will you fuck my mouth, daddy?” I breathed into his ear, realizing a little too late that maybe he didn’t have a thing for that. “Or, err, Louis.”

“I’ll fuck your mouth so hard that you can’t speak for weeks,” Louis hissed, gripping my hair roughly, then forcing me down onto my knees. “Daddy’s gonna fuck you so hard that you’ll cry.”

“Thank you, daddy,” I whimpered, leaning in to run my tongue over his covered crotch. He tugged my hair back, keeping his cock just out of reach.

“Ah-ah,” he scolded, tapping my nose with his finger. “You’re too eager.”

“Sorry, daddy,” I pouted, leaning into his hand so my head would stop hurting.

“Do it slowly, baby.”

With an excited nod, I snuck my fingers under his waistband and slowly tugged it down over his hips. My lips covered every inch of his skin with wet kisses, as well as tracing his bones with my tongue.

Trailing my fingers down his thighs, I slowly dragged the fabric of his pants to his ankles, repeating the action with his underwear. His thick cock bounced up,lightly smacking against his belly. I bit at the skin where his dick met his pelvis, sucking until a mark remained. Every little nibble earned a soft groan, filling the silence around us.

His fist pulled at my locks, tearing me away from his skin. Pre-cum bubbled at his slit, dribbling down his head and shaft. I felt myself begin to drool at the sight of it, before leaning in to blow across his vein. My hand lifted from the floor to cup his balls, rolling them in my palm.

“Did Daddy say you could touch?”

“N-no, Daddy, sorry Daddy,” I gasped, dropping it back to the hardwood floor. “I’m sorry.”

“Open your mouth, baby,” Louis ordered, gripping his cock at the base. “I’m gonna fuck your throat, and then I’m going to speak for you for the rest of the day, alright? Daddy’s going to take good care of you.”

My cock felt way too hard against my boxers as I nodded, parting my lips as far as I could. His salty pre-cum was the first to meet my tongue as he slid his entire dick into my mouth, lightly brushing the back of my throat. My nose was up against his tummy, desperately fighting for breath from how deep he was.

“Such a good girl,” he teased, lightly petting my hair. “You take me so well, and you look so pretty with your lips all glossy like that.”

I mewled around his cock, lapping at the veiny underside with my tongue.

“You gonna let me fuck your mouth, nice and hard?”

Nodding barely, just enough to smack his dick against the top of my mouth.

“You may hold onto my hips, if it helps you stay up,” the caramel-haired boy offered, gently stroking my cheek before gripping my hair. “Ready, Princess?”

He didn’t wait for an answer as he drew his hips back, leaving only the very tip in past my lips. In one swift movement, his cock was slammed against the back of my throat. Tears immediately sprung from my eyes as I kept from gagging, him pulling back to fuck again.

“Yeah, fuck,” he moaned, forcing my head to bob in rhythm with his thrusts. “Such a pretty Princess.”

One of my hands gripped his hipbone, while my body was trembling with every slam. The warm pre-cum dripped down my throat, causing a small cough to escape.

“Am I going too hard, baby? Should I slow down?”

“Nn-nnn,” I whimpered around his dick, trying to shake my head.

“Such a good girl, letting me do such disgusting things to her mouth,” he smirked, speeding up his thrusts. My throat felt raw and sore, but the last thing I wanted was for him to stop. My fingernails dug into his hips, earning a loud gasp.

“I’m going to cum in your mouth, Princess,” Louis stated, losing the rhythm of his thrusts. “And you’re not going to waste even the smallest drop. Do you understand?”

“Mm-hmm,” I answered, looking up through wet eyelashes at him. His lip was between his teeth, exaggerating the already pink of his mouth.

He slammed my head on his cock a few more times, before unloading his cum with a loud, “Fuck!”

The sticky liquid managed to both soothe and aggravate my throat, but I swallowed him down. My cheeks hollowed, helping him ride through his high and forcing a little more out.

“Harry, god, _no_ , too much,” he whined, knocking his hips up once more. “Pull off, Princess.”

“Yessir,” I croaked, trailing a stream of half-cum, half-saliva from his head. “How’d I do, Daddy?”

“Shh, shh,” he whispered, setting his index finger on my lips. “Don’t speak, your voice is destroyed. You did amazing, Princess. Your mouth is perfect for fucking.”

I preened under his compliments, fluttering my eyelashes as he wiped the tears from my flushed cheeks.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good, babe,” Louis breathed, lifting me up to my feet. “I’m gonna make you feel like a princess.”

Chewing on my lower lip, I let him pick me up, hooking my legs over his hips, before carrying me to the bed. My back was pressed into the mattress as he laid me down, delicately massaging my bum.

“You have such a pretty body, Harry,” the caramel-haired man whispered, running his lips over my neck. “I can’t believe it’s mine.”

“It’s all yours,” I breathed, earning a frustrated huff.

“I thought I said not to speak- and don’t you apologize, either,” he ordered, biting down on my collarbone, sucking the skin between his teeth to leave a mark. His fingers quickly stripped me down, dropping the fabric off of the edge of the bed. “Can you roll over for me, baby? Let me see your pretty little ass?”

With an obedient nod, I flipped myself onto my hands and knees, trembling in anticipation. He spread my ass cheeks, rubbing circles into the skin, before blowing hot air against my hole.

“A-ah,” I moaned, before breaking down in a coughing fit.

“I told you not to speak,” he snapped, connecting his hand against my bum sharply. “Such a bad girl.”

I bit the pillowcase to keep from moaning again, my legs trembling from the impact.

“Are you going to be a good girl, or do I have to stop?”

While shaking my head vigorously, I arched my back to try and get some- any- contact.

“Alright Princess, but if you make one more peep…” He said with sass in his voice. “That’s it.”

My heart was racing, waiting for whatever came next, when a wet tongue swept against my hole. It took everything I had not to cry out, but when I clapped both hands over my mouth(causing my top half to fall against the bed), it seemed a little easier.

Loud slurping noises slipped from his mouth as he fucked my hole with his tongue, and it felt so good that precum was dripping from my cock, without even being touched. His finger ghosted over my perineum, which was enough to send me over the edge.

My entire body shook as I came, slamming my eyes shut and curling my toes and pushing back against him. His thin, wet lips moved from my ass to my balls, pausing there for a second before licking the cum from my tip.

“So easy, baby,” Louis teased, cleaning the bedsheets with his tongue. “I barely even touched you.”

I whimpered slightly, trying to keep from collapsing.

“I love that about you, Haz,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind, trailing kisses down my spine. “I love that you’re so willing, and you’re so innocent while being _so_ dirty. And really, a _daddy_ kink? Out of everything in the world?”

I turned to glance at him over my shoulder, with a small smile and a shrug.

“It’s a good fucking thing I like owning you,” he continued, lifting me onto his lap. “And I’ve got to admit, being your daddy is kinda hot.”

I signed ‘thank you’, in sign language, earning nothing short of a confused look. “Thank you,” I breathed, causing myself an uncomfortable burning in the back of my throat.

“I’m serious when I say, _don’t speak_ ,” he hissed, kissing my lips. “I’m going to talk for you for the rest of the day.”

 


	24. Chapter 24

“Excuse me,” Louis called, knocking on Minnie’s bedroom door. “Um, Oracle Styles would like your presence for a few minutes."

Footsteps ran towards the door, before it swung open; the raven-haired woman appeared with a bright smile on her face. “Harry!” she giggled, throwing her arms around my shoulders. “You’ve been gone for so long!”

I nodded, giving her a quick hug.

“Please pardon His Majesty,” the caramel-haired boy coughed, trying not to blush. “He’s lost his voice, and is currently on vocal rest.”

“Oh no! What happened?”

I pointed to my chest, tugging my shirt up to expose the Munus.

“He, um, the pain of his awakening caused him to scream until his voice gave out,” he lied, bowing slightly. “The healers were unable to, uh, help him. I’ve been named his official voice for the day.”

“Oh Harry, it’s beautiful!” she squealed, admiring the mark. “What does it mean?”

“The Professors don’t know,” Louis continued, following us into the room. “It hasn’t been recorded. Oracle Styles says that it’s a symbol that Humans use to mean a heart.”

“You don’t have to call him Oracle,” Minnie laughed, rolling her eyes. “I know he’s your Sodalis, he told me.”

“Oh, well, actually,” the caramel-haired boy blushed, setting his hand on the small of my back. “As of, um, five days ago, he’s my Uxor.”

“What?” she gasped, turning to face me. “Harry! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We left immediately for a small vacation, and Haz ended up having an awakening that took four days.”

“Four days? That’s ridiculous!” She yelled, looking at Louis like it was his fault. “He would’ve died after twelve hours!”

“I think we can both agree that Harry isn’t quite…” the caramel-haired boy shrugged. “He’s not quite _normal_.”

I turned to him and lightly punched his shoulder, huffing indignantly.

“In a good way!”

Still peeved, I turned my back to him, crossing my arms across my chest.

“So when is the wedding?” Minnie asked, a smile spreading across her face.

“We haven’t had a chance to talk about it,” Louis stammered as I spun to look at him. “Oh, right, Harry, you wouldn’t know, would you? Usually, the wedding is about a week after the engagement is made official. Since you were out for a few days, I think we can push it back another week.”

A week? I wanted to yell. How the hell was I supposed to plan a wedding in a week?

“You look like you’re about to explode,” the raven-haired girl pointed out, taking a step back.

“Uh, Haz? Is there something you want to say?”

I swallowed forcefully, barely managing to say, “We’re not getting married unless my mum and sister are there,” before breaking out into a fit of coughs.

“Oh Harry,” Minnie gasped, covering her mouth. “Your voice is wrecked! You really shouldn’t be speaking.”

“Don’t worry,” Louis breathed, slipping his hand into mine. “I’ll make sure your family is in the front row.”

-

The next morning, I woke up to arms around my waist, a face pressed into my chest, and hushed snoring.  With a sleepy smile, I ran my fingers through the feathery hair that was splayed out across my skin, earning a little mewl. His breath was tickling my collarbone, ever so faintly.

“Good morning, Lou,” I grinned, drawing a heart on the back of his neck. “I love you.”

“Lemme sleep,” he huffed, readjusting himself so his hand was cupped over my munus, not touching but hovering. “‘m tired.”

“It’s almost noon,” I teased, massaging the small of his back. “You’ve been asleep for about thirteen hours.”

He rolled his eyes, pushing himself up to make eye contact. “Your use of logic is infallible. Now, may I continue with the beauty sleep I so desperately need?”

“No,” I grinned, pecking his nose. “I wanna get up and do stuff.”

“Like what, you ball of energy?”

After a second of thinking, I whispered, “Can I meet your family?”

His entire face lit up with joy, before he cheered, “Yes! I’d love you to meet my family.”

-

After getting dressed, Louis took my hand in his.

“I love you so much, Harry,” he grinned, pressing his lips to mine. “I can’t believe we’re together.”

“I can’t believe you love me,” I beamed, kissing him again. “You’re my soul mate.”

“You should save that for, uh, after you meet my family. They might scare you off,” he shrugged, biting his lower lip. “They can come on pretty strong.”

“I can’t wait,” I hummed, squeezing his hand. “Let’s go.”

His eyes fluttered shut, bringing us to the front door of a snowy cottage. “Here we are,” he murmured, knocking on the door twice before opening it. “Now, Harry, remember: You’re the Oracle, and they’re going to be surprised.”

“Okay.”

“Mum, I’m home!” Louis called, kicking his shoes off and waiting as I did the same.

Footsteps came from down the hallway, then a woman appeared around a corner. Instantly, you could tell she was Louis’ mum; they looked exactly the same. “Boobear!” She exclaimed, rushing forward to hold him tight. “It’s been so long!”

“It’s only been two months,” he laughed, removing his hand from mine to hold his mother. “I saw you last Ip.”

“That’s eternities for a mom,” she whined, rocking him back and forth dramatically. “You just finished your service, right? Oh, Louis! Are you coming back for good?”

“Not quite,” he chuckled, gesturing at me with one hand. “Mum, this is-”

“Your Majesty,” she interrupted, falling to her knees in front of me. “We are blessed to have you in our household.”

“Told you she’d freak out,” Louis grinned at me.

“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty,” his mother begged. “I never meant to raise such a disrespectful son. Please forgive him.”

“No, Miss Tomlinson,” I said, squatting down beside her. “It’s fine. Please stand up?”

“Like I was trying to say,” the caramel-haired boy laughed, helping her up. “This is Harry.”

“You look absolutely lovely,” I continued, nodding my head at her. “I see where Louis gets his good looks.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she stuttered, looking between Louis and I with shock in her eyes.

“Please, call me Harry.”

“Harry wanted to meet you,” he explained, stepping over to me and lacing our fingers together. “We’re engaged.”

In one swift movement, she fell backwards; Both Louis and I shot forward to catch her, then helped her to the couch.

“Did she just faint?” I gasped, running my fingers over her forehead. “I- wow.”

“I did tell you they’d be surprised,” he laughed, stepping back from us. “I wasn’t expecting _this_ , but… eh.”

“I don’t think she was expecting it either.”

We stood in silence for a while, each scratching our heads awkwardly, before the caramel-haired man said, “Wanna meet my sisters?”


	25. Chapter 25

“Mmmm,” I yawned, stretching my arms back.

“Ready to go home, Haz?” Louis grinned, patting my knee. “It is getting pretty late.”

“What time is it? Oh goodness,” his mother gasped, setting down her tea cup. “You two aren’t going to get in trouble, are you?”

“They can’t really punish the Oracle,” the caramel-haired boy laughed, squeezing my leg. “We’re going to be fine.”

“Thank you for having us, Miss Tomlinson,” I smiled. “You have a lovely house and lovely daughters.”

“I already told you, Harry, call me Jay,” she raised one eyebrow. “And you may come by anytime. And you don’t even need to bring Louis next time.”

“Oh, I see,” he interrupted, pretending to be hurt. “You like him better, is that it?”

“Of course,” she countered. “He’s got manners.”

“You’d probably sit on his side of the aisle at the wedding wouldn’t you?”

“Probably.”

“I can’t believe you call yourself my mother,” he joked, faking a sob.

“You two have a great relationship, actually,” I giggled, covering my mouth with one hand. “My mum would kill me if I made any jokes like that.”

“Do I get to meet your mother?” Jay asked, her face lighting up. “If she’s anything like you, I’m sure that we’ll be close friends.”

“Uh-” I glanced at Louis, confused at how to explain it; Oh yes, Jay, my mother was a human and had no idea that the Eximius even existed. Also, I've been missing for weeks. “I guess you’ll meet her at the wedding.”

“And when is the wedding? Have you guys set a date?”

“No, we haven’t,” the caramel-haired boy sighed, shrugging one shoulder. “But we’re talking about it.”

“Well, I want to be first to know,” she beamed, clapping her hands together.

“We’ll be sure to tell you,” I grinned, standing up, causing both of them to stand up as well. “But like you said, it’s really late, and we should probably head back.”

“Alright,” she sighed, wrapping her arms around me. “I’m so glad Louis found someone so perfect for him.”

“I’m so glad _I_ found _him_ ,” I replied, holding her in a tight hug. “He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Thank you, Harry,” Jay whispered, letting me go. “And you, young man,” she huffed, turning to her son. “Don’t let another two months go by before you come back home.”

“Yes Mum,” Louis chuckled, hugging his mom tight. “I promise I’ll come to visit more.”

“Good,” she smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Now get going you two, and decide on a day for your wedding!”

“Alright,” I grinned, taking the caramel-haired boy’s hand. Within a second, we were in my bedroom again. “Hey Lou?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“We left our shoes there.”

He smacked his forehead, letting go of my hand long enough to disappear, then reappear with two pairs of loafers. “Better?”

“Thank you, darling,” I teased, taking my pair from him and setting them on the floor. “Your mom was really sweet.”

“Yeah, she’s great,” he agreed, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “She’s done a really good job raising me and my sisters.”

“Your sisters were a lot of fun,” I giggled, setting my hands on his arm. “Charlotte and Felicity and Daisy and Phoebe.”

“They liked you,” he said with a kiss to my neck. “Lottie told me that she wants to find true love too.”

“And she will,” I replied, spinning around to face him. “As long as she keeps believing.”

“You’re such a fucking sap,” Louis groaned, silencing me with a strong kiss. “Daddy likes that.”

My cock twitched against my tight pants. “I’m glad, Daddy.”

“Yeah? What a good girl,” he teased, licking at my jaw. “You should get a reward, Princess.”

“Oh, thank you Daddy,” I breathed, gathering the fabric of his shirt between my fingers. “W-what’s my reward?”

“How about…” he paused, tapping his hip with his forefinger. “I know.” In one movement, he slammed me down against the floor, pinning my wrists over my head. “Why don’t I make you feel good, Princess?”

“Yes please,” I whimpered, shaking my bum against the hardwood. “Thank you.”

“Flip over, let me see that ass,” he grinned, getting to his feet and absolutely towering over me. Eagerly, I scrambled to get on my hands and knees, lifting my ass up as high as I could. “Aw, it’s covered,” he sighed, pretending to be disappointed. “I guess I have to change that.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Louis cooed, dropping my trousers to my knees. “What? You’re wearing two layers?” His fingers pinched at my underwear, also tugging those down. “That’s better. What a cute little booty.” A finger pressed against my hole, forcing its way in but not hurting me in the slightest. He easily slid it in and out with no resistance, then added a second one.

“Nnnn…!” I moaned, dropping to my elbows. “Fuck, daddy…”

“Yeah? Is that an order?”

“Please, please please,” I begged, pushing back against him. “Please, Daddy, please fuck me, please- ahhh!”

His fingers were gone, leaving me empty and choking for more. “Here I come,” he warned, pressing in; within seconds, he had bottomed out and had both hands on my hips. “Ooh, you’re so tight.”

“Y-yeah, Daddy, it feels good,” I whined, slamming my eyes shut.

“Give me your hands,” he ordered, reaching for my wrists before holding them behind my back. His hips started moving, thrusting slowly at first but quickly picking up speed.

“Nnn-!” My legs were trembling from the action, and my fists were clutching at air. It felt like heaven, honestly, and I was going to cum way too soon. “Lou-”

A swift spank against my bum shut me up immediately. “Did you forget who you were talking to, Princess?”

“Sorry Daddy,” I breathed, rolling my hips back against him. “I- ah- I’m going to cum soon…”

“Already? I didn’t realize you were so quick,” Louis teased, pulling my hands to his hips which caused me to arch my back. “You can cum if you want, but I’m not quite there, baby.”

“I’ll w-wait.”

“What a good girl,” he hummed, slamming his cock roughly against my prostate. Gasping for air, I dropped my head to the ground while slamming my eyes shut. “You look so beautiful like this, Princess-”

“Call me your whore,” I whispered, dripping precum onto the floor. “Please Daddy, call me your little cum whore.”

His hips stuttered inside of me as he dropped one of my hands to grip my hair. “Is that what you like, you little fuck?” Louis snapped, his thrusts becoming harsh and unpredictable. “You like being a slut? A little whore? I bet you’d fuck anybody, wouldn’t you?”

“Uhn, Daddy,” I mewled, quickly approaching climax. “No, on-only you.”

“You lying slut, your ass is just begging to be cummed in, isn’t it?”

“Yes Daddy, please-”

“My little whore,” he growled, slamming into me angrily. “You’re not allowed to cum until I do, you tramp.”

“O-okay,” I whined, fighting the heat in my stomach as much as I could. “Please hurry, Daddy.”

“You just can’t get enough of my cum, can you?” the caramel-haired man hissed, losing his rhythm. “I could fuck you for days and you still wouldn’t be pleased.”

“Nnn… yeah, Daddy, I’m your slut,” I agreed, rolling back against his dick. “I want it all the time in every way everywhere.”

“Fuck, Harry,” he groaned, slamming in one more time as he filled my ass. His slick cock slipped out of my hole, causing the cum to dribble down and onto my balls; the sensation sent me over, creating a small puddle on the wood. “Good girl, you waited.”

“Of c-course I did,” I shuddered, glancing over my shoulder at him. “Daddy told me to.”

His flushed face lit up slightly as he released my hair and wrist. “I love you, Harry.”

“I love you too, Lou,” I smiled, ready to collapse. “I really do.”

“Do you prefer me calling you a whore or a princess?” the caramel-haired boy asked, rolling me onto my back to the side of the cum mess.

“A mix of both,” I giggled, opening my arms up for him to crawl onto me. “I like being your princess, but I’m also your whore.”

“God, I love you,” he laughed, resting against my chest after pulling my underwear back up. “You’re absolutely perfect.

-

[Louis' Point of View]

-

A few minutes later, I decided that it was probably time to head to bed. After lifting Harry up to set him down on the mattress (he was already asleep, that adorable idiot) and cleaning up the mess we made, I blinked myself to the corridor outside of Zayn and Liam’s bedroom. With a knock on the door, I swallowed forcefully, waiting for one of the boys.

The door swung open, revealing my brunet best friend. “Lou? What are you- it’s _past_ _midnight_.”

“I really need to talk to Z, I have a question,” I stammered, rubbing my forearm. “It’s about my wedding.”

He furrowed his brows, but stood aside to let me in. “Zayn, come on,” he breathed, reaching over and nudging his husband awake. “Louis wants to ask you something.”

“Nnnn?” the raven-haired man groaned, rolling to one side to look at us. “What?”

“Can… Can Humans attend an Eximius wedding?” I stuttered, gazing at my own feet. “Harry wants his family to be there, and I don’t know if they can.”

“It’s never been done before,” he slurred, covering his eyes with his hand. “But he’s the Oracle, he can do anything he wants. He could name his sister as a Goddess, if he so wished.”

“So it wouldn’t be an issue?”

“The only issue would be that in the human world, they tend to wait a longer time before getting married. You’d have to convince his mom,” Zayn shrugged. “But other than that, there’s nothing.”

“Thank you,” I grinned, shuffling his hair before disappearing back to the Oracle suite. My eyes took a second to adjust to the light, but I still didn’t believe what I saw.

“Harry?” I breathed, beginning to reach for the boy, but pulling back to stare at the other boy. “Two..?”

There, on the bed, was a mirror image of the curly-haired boy, both of them asleep. They were facing each other, literally just perfect copies. My heart was up in my throat, and I did the only thing I could think of. I quickly went back to my friends, grabbed them, brought them to the bedroom, then repeated it with everyone I could think of- Oracle Reed, Marie, and even that Niall guy, because he and Harry were close, right?

“What the _fuck_ , Lou,” Liam groaned, leaning against the wall sleepily while rubbing his eyes.

“Look,” I huffed, pointing toward the bed. “There’s two. What the fuck. I’m not the only one seeing this, right?”

Each of them took a slightly different amount of time to realize, before circling around the bed.

“Shit, there _are_ two,” Niall breathed, rolling each of them onto their backs. “They’re identical, too- which one is the original?”

“Uh,” I started, furrowing my brows. “I think the one on the left is, I’m pretty sure he was on that side of the bed when I disappeared the first time.”

“Has this ever happened before?” the raven-haired woman asked, sitting down on the left side of the mattress, lightly touching the left boy’s forehead. “Like, in history?”

“Not that I’ve ever read,” Zayn shrugged, copying her actions except on the right. “This one is beginning to stir, I think.”

I quickly hurried to that side, pushing the raven-haired boy out of the way so I would be the first one he would see. “Harry?” I gasped, lifting the boy’s hands.

His eyes fluttered open, and I swore that they were the wrong shade of green, but I was so happy that he was okay that I didn’t even care. “Louise…?” He whispered, smiling slightly.

Although that wasn’t my name, I felt overjoyed that he was awake. “What’s going on? Why are there two of you?”

“I, uh, I split myself in two,” he explained, using my upper arms to help him sit up. “That one doesn’t have any memories of Eximius, or the Kingdom- this entire month has been wiped from his mind.”

“Why?” Liam asked, sitting next to his husband. “Why would you bother?”

“So he could be with Mum, and go back to living his normal life,” this Harry whispered, resting his forehead against my shoulder. “Louise, please take him home, and be gentle. I don’t want to disturb him any more than he already has been.”

“Of course,” I breathed, slightly confused at why he was calling me a girl’s name.

“Feel free to say your goodbyes, I know it might be hard on you to leave him.”

“I’ll be right back,” I nodded, setting my hand on the other Harry’s jaw and bringing us back to his Human bedroom.

The boy laid in his bed, still wearing only a pair of underwear and the tunic I had given him; I let out a small laugh at how vulnerable he was, how innocent, how beautiful. I sat on the bed on the edge of the mattress, running my fingers across his creamy cheeks. A faint smile grew across his lips, as he turned on his side to face me.

“I love you, Harry,” I whispered, pecking his forehead. “Now you can be with your family.”

“Louis…” the boy breathed, lifting his hand to mine, lightly trailing the skin before it dropped to the pillow.

“Oh, Hazza,” I grinned, kissing his lips delicately. “Don’t tell other Harry, but I think I’m going to visit you every once in a while. I love you too much to say goodbye.”

He buried his face in the pillowcase, subconsciously trying to hide his grin.

I blinked myself back to the Oracle suite, where the other Harry was sitting alone, waiting for me.

“Where are the others?” I asked, glancing around.

“I wanted to be alone with you,” he said, his eyes sharp and unfriendly. “I love you, Louise.”

Something was wrong.

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

My eyes fluttered open, glancing up at my dark bedroom, save for the faint light seeping through the curtains. I rolled to one side, looking for the man who had stayed the night previous, but Nick was nowhere to be seen.

“What a wanker,” I groaned, pushing myself up slowly. “He knows he has to wake me before he leaves.”

The alarm clock on my bedstand said it was just past 9, Saturday morning- which meant that Nick was an _extreme_ asshole, and probably snuck out last night for a quick hookup with some random dick. After swinging my legs off the side of the bed, I noticed that I was actually wearing a shirt, and not just any shirt; it almost looked like a dingy tunic, and I didn’t own any tunics, dingy or not, and I definitely went to bed in just my boxers. Nick had even made a joke about my exhibitionist habits.

“Whatever, he’s a dick,” I yawned, strolling to the bathroom to take a wee. In the mirror, the shirt didn’t look too bad on me, and the idea of taking it off seemed to make me sick.

I made my way downstairs, scratching the back of my head and yawning repeatedly; for some reason, I was absolutely exhausted.

“Good morning, Mum!” I called, stepping into the kitchen.

Her eyes widened as she looked at me, dropping her mug to the floor. It shattered, splashing hot tea everywhere, but still, she didn’t even blink.

“Mum, your mug!” I gasped, getting on my knees and picking up the pieces. It was her favorite mug, the one Gemma and I had gotten her right after the divorce that said _World’s #1 Mom_.

“H-Harry?” she whispered, lifting one hand to her mouth in shock.

“I thought you loved this mug,” I pouted, glancing up at her.

“Where have you been?” She asked quietly, as if she was afraid to spook me.

“Upstairs?” I shook my head, standing back up. “Speaking of which, where the hell is Nick? He was here last night and he wasn’t there when I woke up.”

“Harry, what day do you think it is?”

“Um,” I was caught off guard, but shrugged. “It’s Saturday, the first of November, right?”

“Oh, baby,” Mum gasped, fighting tears. “It’s the sixth of December- you’ve been gone for an entire month.”

“Bullshit,” I stated with a chuckle. “Nick put you up to this, right? It’s not a funny prank.”

“Harry, oh my baby boy,” she breathed, pulling me into a hug. “Nick’s currently at his therapist. He’s been taking your disappearance really hard.”

“Therapist? What the fuck?”

“He was here when you were taken, and he swears that he watched a man appear, take you, and then disappear. Poof!” She explained, running her fingers through my hair. “You don’t remember anything?”

“I remember falling asleep, and I remember waking up,” I confessed, beginning to believe her. “I was really gone for a _whole month_?”

“No one knew where you were, the entire country is on lookout for you,” she sniffled, resting her head on my shoulder. “Oh baby, I’m so glad you’re home.”

“Yeah, Mum, I’m home,” I breathed, although something in my chest was heavy. Something felt wrong, just out of my reach.

-

“Alright, Mister Styles,” the man started, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“I really don’t know, Mr. Pann,” I sighed, clutching my fingers in my lap. After taking my name off of a missing persons list, the police had decided the best thing for me was therapy. “I fell asleep last night and I woke up this morning and apparently I missed an entire month.”

“An entire month?” He scribbled something down. “Is there nothing you remember? It can be small, or insignificant.”

“Nothing.”

“Alright, Harry,” he sighed, removing his glasses and setting them on the side table. “Try something for me, will you? Close your eyes.”

My eyelids fluttered shut quickly.

“Alright, now relax. I’m going to count down from ten, and when I reach one, you’ll be relaxed, alright? Alright, ten.”

With a shuddery breath, I tried to fall into the darkness behind my eyes.

“Nine.”

It surrounded me, embracing me tight.

“Eight. You’re slowly relaxing.”

The pitch black was comforting me.

“Seven.”

Then there was light. A bright light started from my chest, washing away the dark.

“Six. You’re so relaxed, you feel like you’re on a cloud.”

The light filled my body, from my toes to the very tip of my head.

“Five.”

It streamed from my fingers, lighting up the entirety of existence.

“Four. You’re so relaxed, your brain is letting all of its shields down.”

Everything was a bright white.

“Three.”

Figures played out on the lights, showing shadows and outlines of scenes.

“Two. You are remembering everything that happened during the month of November.”

One of the figures approached me, and all I felt was warmth. Warmth and love and this figure was good. This was a happy, caring figure.

“One. Alright Harry, tell me what you remember.”

“Someone loved me,” I whispered, trying to focus on the silhouette. It was wavering as its hand reached forward and stroked my cheek and I could feel it touch me. “Someone treated me amazingly.”

“Do you remember their name?”

“No… no, but I remember them saying something,” I stammered, concentrating. The figure whispered it into my ear, their arms wrapping around my waist. “Dili… dilidigo? No, Diligo. They said Diligo.”

“Do you know what that word means?”

“No, I don’t… But they do, and they’re saying it again. They’re saying it to me, and only me,” I smiled, feeling my body fill with joy. “I want to say it back, and I do.”

“How does this person react?”

“They kiss me.”

After a second, he said, “Alright, Harry. What else can you remember?”

The loving figure vanished, and I felt empty. Another figure appeared next to me, happy and friendly, but not the same. “There’s someone else,” I whispered. “It’s a boy. I can tell that he’s laughing.”

“What is he laughing about?”

“I stabbed him playfully with a fork, I think,” I explain, concentrating on the scene. The figure does something to something in front of me, then moves his hand back to his mouth. “I think he’s eating my food.”

“Very good, Harry, what else?”

That figure also disappeared, leaving no one. “Nothing, that’s it, it’s blank.”

“Alright. I’m going to count to ten, and then you’ll be back, alright? One...”

-

As I laid in bed that night, I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. The figure from earlier- the loving one- I wanted to remember them.

“But what the fuck does _Diligo_ mean?” I groaned, sitting up slowly while glancing at the open window. The air was chilly, but I couldn’t find it in me to close it. There was movement out in the tree, which was weird- all birds had gone South by now, and it sure as hell wasn’t a squirrel. Getting to my feet and rushing to the window, I could’ve sworn I saw someone, but as I looked out, there was no one there.

My chest hurt, as if I had just lost someone.


	27. Chapter 27

As I walked through the hallway of school the next morning, I could feel everyone’s eyes follow me. Not that I was really surprised- I had been gone for a month.

My hand paused on the doorknob for my first class, and although the school had promised me time to catch up, I felt like I was going to be sick. How the hell was I supposed to do this? A month of classes gone, and I was just dropped right back into the middle of it.

After a deep breath, I opened the door and took a few steps in. There were a few people there, who immediately stopped their conversation to look at me with wide eyes. All but one: a depressed looking man in the back of the class, gazing out the window.

I made my way to my normal desk, which was next to his, before saying, “It isn’t like you to be so emo.”

Nick’s head spun so fast I was afraid that he would hurt himself. He quickly got to his feet, knocking his chair behind him, and tears filled his eyes as he whispered, “Harry?”

“Surprise,” I said weakly, not quite sure what was appropriate. “It’s me!”

His arms wrapped around my waist as he lifted me up, burying his face into my shoulder. My legs hooked onto his hips as I hugged his neck, earning a teary laugh. “You’re home,” he chuckled, his voice full of so much emotion that I felt a tear slip down my own cheek. “You’re finally home, and you’re safe, and oh Harry, you’re okay.”

“I’m home,” I repeated, trying to find words to get him to stop crying. “I’m not leaving again, I promise.”

“I don’t know what to do without you, Harry,” Nick admitted, setting me on his desk. “I thought I had lost you forever, and I was going to be alone.”

“I’d never leave you alone-”

“But you were gone, Haz, and I didn’t know what to do-”

“I’d always find my way back to you-”

“I love you so much, Harry-”

“You too, Nick-”

“God, you were gone so fucking long!”

“Please stop crying,” I outright begged, running my fingers through his hair. “I’m here, and I’m staying right here.”

“You were gone for a whole month,” he continued, sniffling into my uniform. “People were giving up. I almost gave up.”

“No you didn’t,” I grinned, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I know you, Nick. You wouldn’t have given up until you died.”

His smile grew against my neck. “You’re right,” he chuckled quietly. “I even signed up for art classes, so I could draw the face of your kidnapper.”

“You’re so dramatic,” I giggled, inhaling his cologne. It was familiar and comforting, letting me relax into everything, although I hadn't realized that I was tense. “I don’t even remember what they looked like. I just remember going to sleep, and then when I woke up, apparently an entire month had gone by.”

“Bullshit,” he huffed, glaring at me. “Nothing? You don’t remember anything?”

“Nothing,” I repeated. “When Mum told me, I thought you had just gotten her to play a prank on me.”

“That does sound like something I’d do,” Nick laughed, tightening his grip on my waist. “But you really- you really don’t remember anything?”

“My therapist is trying some hypnotherapy crap on me,” I shrugged. “It’s sorta bringing back vague things, but not enough for the police to go on.”

“I hope that creep gets caught,” the brunet huffed, his smile disappearing. “I want to catch and kill him myself.”

“Get in line,” I whispered into his hair. “Mum’s already called first, Gemma stole second, and I guess that makes you third.”

“What about you?” he asked, pulling away to look up at me. “Aren’t you mad?”

“I’m pissed,” I laughed. “But I’m weak, and I couldn’t hurt him if I tried.”

“Yeah, you’d probably just forgive him and make him promise not to do it again,” Nick grinned, rolling his eyes. “You’re such a fucking wimp, Haz.”

“Is that any way to treat me?” I gasped, pretending to be hurt. “I’m special.”

“I love you so much, Harry,” he beamed, wiping tears from his eyes. “This is surely a dream.”

Reaching forward and pinching his cheek, I said, “Nope! I’m really here.”

“I’m never letting you get away from me, ever again.”

-

Arms were wrapped around my waist when I woke up the next morning, causing me to jump slightly.

"Morning, Haz," Nick’s voice rumbled sleepily. "The alarm just went off, I was going to wake you."

Right. He stayed over. “Well, I’m up now,” I hummed in response, trying to break from his arms. They felt wrong, uncomfortable even. Almost suffocating.

He tugged me back down, whispering, “Harry, I really don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you, so much.”

"Y-yeah," I shrugged, not wanting to say it back for some reason I didn’t understand. We always told each other that we loved each other.  

"No, Haz, you don’t understand," he breathed, caressing my cheek delicately. "I love you. Like, only you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you- will you go out with me?"

My heart dropped, but I couldn’t say no. He was my best friend, and if he loved me, then I probably loved him back- I just couldn’t recognize that because of what I’ve been through. “O-okay,” I stammered, forcing a small smile. “I’ll go out with you.”

"You mean it? You- oh my god, are you serious?" He broke out into broad smiles and little laughs. "I love you so much, Harry. I promise, I’ll be the best boyfriend ever."

"You don’t have to do that," I chuckled, relaxing slightly. This was the Nick I knew how to deal with: the cocky, competent one. "You’re already the best boyfriend I’ve ever had."

"That’s cause I’m the only one, isn’t it?"

"The sentiment still stands."

"You’re an idiot," he laughed, leaning forward to kiss me and oh god no I couldn’t do that. I quickly turned my head, forcing him to kiss my cheek instead. After a second, he said, "you moved."

"S-sorry," I whispered. "I just… I’m not comfortable kissing right now."

"Right, because of what happened," Nick blurted, slapping his forehead. "Slipped my mind. I’m sorry."

"It’s fine," I grinned, although my heart hurt. "Just don’t try that again!"

"I won’t."

He held me to his chest for a few more minutes, and the entire time, I could only think of blue eyes that were just out of reach.


	28. Chapter 28

Nothing really changed between Nick and I over the next few days. We still held hands everywhere we went, he still kissed my cheek before every class, and I still followed him around like a lost puppy.

"Hey," he grinned, coming up behind me with a hug while I was at my locker, preparing for class to start by looking through the notes my teachers had prepared for me. "You look cute."

"I’m just wearing my uniform," I stammered, dropping a stack of papers in surprise.

"Yeah, but you always look cute," he teased, bending down to pick them up. "I just thought that you should know."

"Thanks, Nick," I smiled, putting the papers back in my locker before closing it. "You look good too."

"You mean I look _flawless_ ," he winked, slipping his hand into mine. "To class?"

"To class."

We headed through the hallway together, him opening the door for me, then waiting until I was through to follow me in. I sat in my seat, towards the back of the classroom, and he took his seat next to me.

“So, Haz, what are you doing after school?” Nick grinned, slipping his hand into mine. “I was thinking I could take you out for something to eat.”

“I have therapy, actually,” I shrugged, thankful for some reason. He was my best friend- no, boyfriend- so why did I not want to spend time with him? “Sorry, Grimmy.”

“No, that’s fine,” he shook his head. “The sooner you can remember something, the better. Raincheck?”

“Raincheck,” I agreed, squeezing his hand. “One day I’ll actually be free.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“I have an appointment at the healers,” I sighed, setting my head on the desk. “They want to check if I have any head trauma or brain damage that's causing my amnesia.”

“Healers?” He furrowed his brow. “You mean doctor?”

“Huh? Yeah, what did I say?”

“Healers,” he grinned. “Maybe you do have head trauma. You should get that checked out.”

“Oh, shut up,” I laughed, sticking my tongue out at him. “You knew what I meant.”

“Harry, you could say that you were going to the carabilajunger or something random like that, and I would know exactly what you meant,” Nick hummed, bringing my hand to his mouth to kiss my knuckles. “That’s what happens with soul mates.”

My heart sunk, but I nodded. “That’s what happens.”

As if to save me, the teacher got the student’s attention and began class. I pulled my hand away from the brunet to take notes, as I always did. No matter what, though, my stomach was heavy, my heart hurt, and I felt like I was going to cry. There shouldn’t have been a reason: Nick was my boyfriend, and I loved him, didn’t I? We’ve been friends for so long, of course we had to be soul mates. Tears fought their way to my eyes, but I refused to let them show.

To my demise, I had written _Fuck_ across my page. In pen.

I groaned silently, flipping to a new page and trying to focus on Mr. Cowell. He was going on about some equation, something way too advanced for me. Tapping my pen against the page, I spaced out, thinking about what therapy had pulled up so far.

There was someone who loved me. I knew that. The word “Diligo” had come up several times, and was eventually joined by “Sodalis”. There were also three friendly figures: two were protective, and one was an intellectual. That’s all I knew.

An entire month of my life gone, and all I had to show for it was four vague figures and two nonsense words.

Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw movement. I traced it with my peripheral vision, but could only make out a silhouette in a tree. Turning to look, I furrowed my brows when nobody was actually there.

Great. Now I was seeing things, too.

-

“Mr. Pann,” I asked, sitting down on the couch across from him. “Is it possible for me to develop schizophrenia, or something like it, because of this whole incident?”

He blinked several times, then set the pad of paper on his lap. “Why do you ask?”

“I just feel like I’ve been seeing someone in places that people shouldn’t be in,” I shrugged, crossing one leg over the other. “Like in the top of a tree, or on the roof of buildings.”

“It might be paranoia,” he explained, standing up to shuffle through a storage cabinet. “Very common, especially after cases of kidnapping. The victim sees and-or believes that someone is following them.”

“That makes sense,” I nodded, taking a packet of paper from him that read _Paranoia_ across the top. “Alright.”

“And if you feel like you need it, you can ask the police to do surveillance for a few days,” Mr. Pann continued, sitting back down in his armchair. “But I’m sure it’s just paranoia.”

“Thank you,” I said, seeing something flicker outside the window.

“Anyways, shall we get started?”

“After you.”

“You know the drill, Harry. Ten.”

With a silent sigh, I closed my eyes to fall into the darkness behind them.

“Nine.”

It surrounded me, embracing me tight.

“Eight. You’re slowly relaxing.”

The pitch black was comforting me.

“Seven.”

Then there was light. A bright light started from my chest, washing away the dark.

“Six. You’re so relaxed, you feel like you’re on a cloud.”

The light filled my body, from my toes to the very tip of my head.

“Five.”

It streamed from my fingers, lighting up the entirety of existence.

“Four. You’re so relaxed, your brain is letting all of its shields down.”

Everything was a bright white.

“Three.”

Figures played out on the lights, showing shadows and outlines of scenes.

“Two. You are remembering everything that happened during the month of November.”

A male figure stepped forward, resting on my chest.

“One. Alright Harry, tell me what you remember.”

“There’s a man,” I started, focusing. “He’s laying on top of me. I think I’m petting his hair.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“I don’t know.” He let out a noise that was strictly inhuman, and pressed his nose to my hand. “He’s acting… animalistic. Like a cat.”

“What does he look like?”

“He has dark brown hair, almost black, I think,” I whispered, fading into the scene. There was a foggy background behind the man, showing something like a canopy bed. “His eyes are green. He’s very important. He’s changed my entire life.”

“How has he done that?”

“I don’t know. I’m calling someone to come see him,” I breathed, concentrating on the newcomer. “It’s the figure that loves me, I can tell. They feel warm, even though they’re not touching me. They’re bowing to the man.”

“Why are they doing that?”

“I told you, he’s very important. The figure leaves to get someone else, and…” I shook my head. “That’s where it stops.”

“Alright. You did very well. What else can you remember?”

“I’m meditating,” I whisper, suddenly in a completely different scene. “I’m sitting on the floor and I’m holding something in my hand, and I’m meditating. There’s a woman, telling me how to do it.”

“Like how I did?”

“Yeah, very similar. She’s telling me to manipulate something, and then open my eyes.”

“What do you see?”

“I see my mum, and she’s crying. Nick walks over and comforts her. Why am I seeing this? I start crying as well. I miss them so much-” tears dropped from my cheeks- “that it hurts. I don’t tell her what I see. I don’t tell anyone.”

“Why don’t you tell her?”

“I don’t know,” I sobbed, wiping my eyes. “Suddenly she’s tucking me into bed, and then the loving figure is there. They don’t touch me at first, but then I force them to. They hold me and for some reason, I’m telling them that it’s okay. I’m comforting them.”

“Why aren’t they comforting you?”

“I don’t tell them what’s wrong. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m different. I’m-” I cut myself off by crying so hard that I had trouble getting air. “I’m _wrong_.”

“Why are you wrong, Harry?”

“I’m a freak, and I don’t belong anywhere.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m… I don’t know! Why don’t I know anything?!”

“Harry, I’m going to count to ten, and when I reach it, you’ll-”

“No!” I yelled, wiping at my eyes. “We’re going to figure this out.”

After a moment, he said, “Alright. Harry, why don’t you remember anything?”

I tried to focus on anything. “I think the man- the cat-like one- I think it’s his fault. I think he did something to me.”

“What did he do?”

A scene pulled up in my mind, and I slipped into it easily. “The loving figure and I just finished having sex, and we’re laying on the floor. I’m almost completely asleep. They carry me to the bed, and then they’re gone. The door opens, and the man is standing there. He’s holding something.”

“What is he holding?”

“It… it looks like a ball,” I whisper, trying to concentrate. “I can barely see him, I’m about to pass out. He approaches me, and he slips his hand up my shirt and touches my chest.”

“Then what?”

“That’s it,” I sighed, shaking my head. “Whatever he does ends up knocking me out.”

“I’m going to count to ten, and then you’ll be back to full consciousness. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.”

My eyes opened, and, blurrily, I saw Mr. Pann scribbling something down on his pad.

“How did I do today?” I yawned, rubbing the remainder of the tears out of my eyes.

“Amazingly,” he said, not lifting his eyes from the page. “Harry, you did amazingly. You covered a lot of ground, and we learned about two new people, and we learned more about the loving figure.”

“Like what?” I blushed, looking down at my feet.

“You must have trusted them quite a lot, if you were falling asleep with them,” he concluded, tapping his pen. “You have severe anxiety, Harry, and for you to one, have sex with someone and two, fall asleep with them, you must have been very comfortable. I’m also going to assume that they were selfish, as you were crying yet they were the one who needed to be comforted-”

“Don’t talk about him like that!” I snapped, before covering my mouth with both hands. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know where that came from.”

“See?” He laughed slightly, writing my outburst down on his paper. “You subconsciously defended him, without even knowing why. You must care for this man very much.”

“I guess,” I breathed, dropping my hands back to my lap. “I wonder if he misses me.”

“Do you miss him?”

I glanced up in surprise, then shrugged one shoulder. “I guess. I don’t know. Something feels like it’s missing from my life, but it could be any number of things- my memories, for example. Maybe it’s him. But I don’t care, I have a boyfriend that I really like.”

“Tell me about him,” Mr. Pann said, leaning back against his chair.

“Nick? He’s really fun,” I began, thinking of the brunet. “I’ve known him since I was in diapers, and we’ve always just clicked. He was there for me through my parent’s divorce, which was messy, and when I got back from this incident, he asked me out. He told me that he, uh, he loved me, and that he wanted to be with me for the rest of his life.”

“And you feel the same?” he asked, taking his glasses off to clean them.

“Well, I mean, not right now,” I sighed, crossing my arms. “I’m not comfortable with anyone right now, but I think it’s because of what I’ve been through. I know I loved him before I left, and I’m sure I still do.”

“Alright,” Mr. Pann hummed, slipping his glasses back on. “Now, tell me about the loving figure.”

“I’ve never felt anything like how I feel with him,” I grinned, thinking of the silhouette. “He’s… he’s _right_ , you know? I feel like I’m complete. He fits me, and I think I fit him. Like puzzle pieces, I guess. It feels like true love, and I don’t know, I feel secure, and I can’t imagine being with anyone else.”

“Just your boyfriend, Nick.”

“Well that’s different-”

“How?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but couldn’t come up with anything.


	29. Chapter 29

During lunch the next day, I slipped into the library to escape from Nick. After the last session of therapy, I realized the unthinkable: I didn’t like him. I didn’t want to date him, I just wanted to be friends. And, of course, since realizing this, everything he did was felt like it was smothering me and was the most annoying thing he could ever do.

I found a quiet spot in the corner, by a wall of windows and the fantasy section. He would never look for me here; it was pretty well known that the only books that Nick liked were either gay porn or non-fiction biographies about serial killers. As I slid down the bookcase, I swore there was someone watching me from the corner of the room but I was sure it was just paranoia.

The rain droplets splattered against the window, one after another and was echoing through the empty library. Gazing up into it, I wondered what I was; I had told Mr. Pann that I didn’t belong anywhere, and somehow, I still felt like it was true. I took my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through my contacts until it landed on **Dad**.

After staring at it for a long time debating whether or not this was a good idea, I pressed the call button and lifted it to my ear. It ringed several times, before, “Hello, this is Des.”

“Dad? Hey, it’s Harry,” I stammered, swallowing nervously. We hadn’t talked since the divorce, and I didn’t even know why I was calling him.

“Oh, Harry,” he replied, sounding slightly surprised. “It’s been a while, why did you call?”

“I..” I shrugged, forgetting that he couldn’t see me. “I don’t really know. Something happened to me recently, and I really wanted to talk to you.”

“Yeah? What happened?”

“I was kidnapped, and now I’m missing a month of my memories,” I whispered, staring up at the rain, trying to ignore the fact that the person in the corner was still watching me. 

“Kidnapped?” He gasped. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I nodded, once again realizing that he still couldn’t see me. “I mean, I’m having a bit of an existential crisis, but physically, I’m fine.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dad… What am I? I don’t feel like I fit in anywhere, and I’m really different,” I explained, using my free hand to wipe the tears that were beginning to form. Nick would notice if I looked like I had been crying, and I couldn’t explain to him how I was feeling. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“Harry…”

“Please don’t try to lie, I really need to know,” I sobbed, curling in on myself. “I’m a freak, aren’t I? I don’t… I shouldn’t be allowed near other people.”

“This is the reason your mother and I fought so much,” he sighed. “Harry, what I’m going to say is going to sound insane, but it’s true.”

“A-alright,” I sniffled, closing my eyes to try to stop the burning from the tears. “I’m listening.”

“Harry, you’re not entirely human-”

Suddenly my phone was gone, and so was the figure in the corner. _Gone_. My hand was empty.

I swallowed nervously, looking around the room. There was no one around, and nothing looked out of place. Had I just imagined the entire conversation?

“I’m going insane,” I laughed quietly, tears spilling from my eyes and down my face. Not human? Why the fuck would my dad ever tell me that?

Lifting my uniform sleeve to dry my cheeks, I shook my head slightly. I was insane, maybe, but I knew I wasn’t imagining the figure that was now standing right in front of me. I lifted my head to look at their face, but they were gone. My phone landed in my lap, the screen open to my recent calls list- it was cleared.

“Am I not allowed to find out what’s wrong with me?” I asked the silence, knowing that, somehow, the figure would hear me. “It hurts not knowing.”

In response, a stuffed cat fell into my lap. Gently lifting it to my chest, I felt comforted in some strange way, and I whispered, “thank you.” I closed my eyes and buried my face in the soft grey fur, breathing in the scent of someone familiar. “Mercury, right? I don’t know how I know that, but I do.”

Something tapped the top of my head, causing me to reach up and grab it- wrapped in a pretty red ribbon was a small bouquet of four or five pale pink carnations.  

“I still don’t know who I actually am,” I said to no one in particular. “And this doesn’t change that. But…” I inhaled the flower’s fragrance, smiling slightly. “They’re nice, thank you.”

Nothing else happened, so I took it that the figure was done trying to bribe me. With a sad chuckle, I held the cat to my chest while continuing to stare out the window. The rain had sped up, still echoing through the library.

-

“You go on in, Harry,” Mum said, gesturing towards the nurse who had just called my name. “I’ll be right here.”

“A-alright,” I stammered, standing from the waiting room seat and heading to the small blonde woman. “I’m Harry.”

“Come on back,” she grinned, her liverpudlian accent way too obvious. “Take off your shoes, we’ll check your height and weight.”

“Okay,” I sighed, kicking my boots off before stepping on the scale. She scribbled down the number, then led me to a ruler on the wall. When I pressed my back to that, she commented that I’d grown an inch. She led me down the hall to an examination room, where she took my blood pressure.

“There’s a gown behind you, so change into that,” she smiled,closing the door behind her. I turned, expecting to see some sort of dress, but instead was a normal hospital gown.

I stripped to my underwear quickly, then slipped the outfit on to try and fight the cold. The room was cold and unfriendly, and I wanted to get out of here as fast as I could. My fingers traced over the carnation I had put behind my ear as a reminder that someone or something was watching me. Nick had asked where I had gotten it, but I had just shrugged him off.

Eventually I would have to break up with him, I knew that, yet I didn’t want to hurt him. He was my best friend in the world, and I couldn’t lose him.

“Maybe I could just settle,” I breathed, laying back on the wax-papered bench. “He loves me, and I’ll grow to love him in the same way.” I could forget about the loving figure. Or I could try.

The door opened, revealing a large black man in a white doctor’s coat. “Harry?” He asked, smiling at me.

“Yup, that’s me,” I groaned, sitting up slowly. “The freak without the memory.”

“That doesn’t make you a freak, Harry,” he chuckled, stepping in and closing the door behind him. “I’m Dr. Hibert. Ready for a physical?”

Hesitantly, I nodded. He started by lifting the gown to reveal my stomach and chest.

“When did you get the tattoo?” he said nonchalantly, pressing his fingers across my belly to check for tumors.

“I don’t have any tattoos.”

“Then what’s this?” he asked, pointing at a heart on my chest. “Is it marker?”

“I’ve never seen that before,” I whispered, running my finger over the slightly raised skin. “I don’t know what it is.”

“It’s definitely a tattoo,” he concluded, continuing down to my waistband. “You probably got it during November, and you can’t remember.”

“Alright,” I shrugged. “If you say so.”

“You seem healthy physically,” he said, standing up. “Let’s go do some scans, to check your brain.”

“Okay.”


	30. Chapter 30

“Harry!” Nick called, wrapping his arm around my waist. “You haven’t replied to any of my texts.”

“Oh, sorry,” I lied. I had purposefully been ignoring him all morning. “I woke up late and haven’t checked my phone.”

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over after school,” he continued, not even phased. “We could sit around and watch dumb movies while drinking hot chocolate.”

“That sounds nice,” I grinned, leaning into his touch. He’s your boyfriend, Harry, you need to like him. “I’d enjoy that.”

“So I’ll meet you at your locker after last period, alright?” He beamed, pressing a kiss to my temple. “I love you!”

“Yeah, you too.”

-

Later that day, Nick and I were curled up on his bed, each holding a mug of tea (he ended up not having any hot chocolate) and watching some shitty rom-com.

“You’re beautiful, Harry,” he whispered in my ear, before pressing kisses to my jaw. His mouth trailed down my neck, nibbling at my sweet spots. “I love you so much.”

“Grimmy, please,” I blushed, trying to shift away from him. “I’m not comfortable with that.”

“We’ve been dating for almost two weeks,” he sighed, pausing the movie. “You haven’t told me once that you love me, or kiss me, or anything.”

“Nick…” I turned to look at him, furrowing my brow. He was half-glaring at me, his arms crossed across his chest.

“What’s going on? You- you were weird before the incident, but this is just… this isn’t _you_ , Haz,” he stated, worry spreading across his face. “Is it the therapy? Is it pulling up some weird shit?”

“I’m just not who I used to be,” I mumbled, gripping the hem of my uniform sweater. “A lot of things happened during that month, and I’m slowly accepting them, Nick. I really like you, and I don’t-” I swallowed forcefully, ready to lie. “I don’t want this relationship to end. I’m just not going to be as close as you want, or deserve. At least, not until I understand what’s going on.”

He stared at me for a long moment, hurt obvious on my face, before he nodded slowly. “Alright,” he finally said, turning back to the movie. “I’m sorry.”

Feeling guilty, I set my mug on his bedside table before curling up next to him. “I do l-love you, Nick.”

His arms wrapped around me tight, pulling me into his chest. “I love you so much, Harry.”

My heart hurt.

-

My face immediately buried into my pillow when I got home.

“Why did I tell him I loved him?” I groaned, running one hand over the stuffed cat that had kept me sane over the last two weeks. “I don’t. I love _you_ , Mercury.”

The cat didn’t make any noise, but I felt comforted anyways. After pulling the kitty up to my chest, I closed my eyes to try and remember more. It had been two weeks since I started therapy, and I was able to do it at home now; I never told anyone what came up, but it helped me personally.

Slowly descending into the place I had begun to call My Kingdom, I found myself standing across a desk from someone. I recognized this figure; he came up often in my therapy sessions. I called him Z, since that was the only thing that really felt correct.

-

_“Harry, can I talk to you for a moment?” Z asks, and I stop in front of him. His hands are above a book. He says something about my parents._

_I reply. He seems surprised, and he starts explaining something to me._

_I become confused, and scared. I’m not normal. He tells me that I’m unstable. I know I’m unstable. I cry._

-

My memory was interrupted by actual tears streaming from my face, causing me to sit up and wipe my face. An indent in the bed disappeared, leaving me to think that someone just left. I knew it was the figure that had been following me for the last two weeks, but I still had no idea whether it was good or bad.

“If you’re going to keep me company,” I sniffled, speaking into the silence. “You could at least hold me when I’m crying.”

Another flower fell into my lap.

“It’s the middle of December, where do you keep getting these?” I laughed, lifting the carnation to my nose. Every time I talked to the figure, they’d leave me an assorted amount of pink carnations- the most I’d ever gotten in at one time was around fifteen. They were always freshly plucked, and they were always fragrant and beautiful. “It’s not like these grow near here, anyways.”

As if in a response, another dozen flowers fell onto my lap, each freshly plucked and beautiful.

“You’re an idiot, whoever you are,” I giggled, gathering them up and setting them in the vase I had started keeping by my bed. “Thank you very much for these.”

-

“Hey Mum?” I mumbled during dinner, pushing food around with my fork. “Why did you and Dad fight all the time?”

She coughed a little, choking on her food. “Harry, where did this come from?”

“I dunno, this incident has brought back a lot of memories,” I lied. “Some good, most bad. I understand if you don’t want to tell me, though.”

“Your dad…” she sighed, setting her fork down. “He was mentally challenged, Harry. He had convinced himself that he wasn’t human, and he refused to see a therapist.”

“Wasn’t human, huh?” I murmured, still playing with my dinner. “Sounds like a freak.”

“I loved your father very much, but some things you can’t quite get over,” Mum explained, reaching her hand over the table. “And being told that our children will be some sort of hybrid just wasn’t something I could handle.”

“Hybrid?” I blinked several times, flashing back to Z. He had said something about being a hybrid. That was what he was talking about earlier.

“Yup, he said you and Gemma were going to be half-human, half-magical beings,” she chuckled. “I’m not sure when we got violent, exactly, but I wish it had never got that far. Your dad was so against a divorce, though; he was convinced that we could make it work.”

“I wonder why,” I shrugged, lifting a piece of chicken to my mouth. “It was obvious you guys weren’t going to make it.”

“That’s what I thought, but he was so adamant that I just went with it.”

“Thanks for telling me,” I smiled. I had more questions now than when I started.


	31. Chapter 31

“Alright Harry,” Mr. Pann sighed, lifting his pen. “Let’s begin. Ten.”

Exhausted, I closed my eyes to fall into the darkness behind them.

“Nine.”

It surrounded me, embracing me tight.

“Eight. You’re slowly relaxing.”

The pitch black was comforting me.

“Seven.”

Then there was light. A bright light started from my chest, washing away the dark.

“Six. You’re so relaxed, you feel like you’re on a cloud.”

The light filled my body, from my toes to the very tip of my head.

“Five.”

It streamed from my fingers, lighting up the entirety of existence.

“Four. You’re so relaxed, your brain is letting all of its shields down.”

Everything was a bright white.

“Three.”

Figures played out on the lights, showing shadows and outlines of scenes.

“Two. You are remembering everything that happened during the month of November.”

The loving figure steps forward to take my hand.

“One. Alright Harry, tell me what you remember.”

“It’s the loving figure again,” I breathed, smiling in their presence. “They’re holding my hand, and we’re going somewhere.”

“Where are you going?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but instead, I got stuck in the vision. Fields and fields of flowers surrounded us, tickling around our legs.

_“I couldn’t decide which were the most beautiful,” the loving figure says. “So I brought the most beautiful thing, you, back to them.”_

_“-----, you’re a sweetheart,” I reply, leaning in to kiss them. Why can’t I remember their name? “Thank you.”_

_“Multum te amo, Harry,” the figure smiles, kissing me gently. “Choose your favorite, and I’ll make sure that they’re at our wedding.”_

_“Multum te amo, -----,” I beam, letting go of their hand to look through the flowers. I lift one from the garden- it's pink, but not too overwhelming, the petals are small and plentiful, and they're stunning-, lifting it to my nose to smell it. It smells like sweet spices, and is beautiful. “I like these.”_

_“That’s a carnation,” the loving figure explains, taking the flower from my hand. “These are my favorite too. It’s like a sign.” We laugh together, and they put the flower in my hair, behind my ear._

_“I really like you -----. I think you’re my soul mate,” I giggle, lightly touching the flower just to make sure it stays. “Will you stay with me forever?”_

_“Forever, Harry,” they smile. “Harry. Harry. Harry.”_

“Harry,” Mr. Pann interrupted, snapping his fingers. “Harry, what are you seeing?”

“The loving figure gave me a carnation,” I spat frustratedly. Why did he have to take me away from My Kingdom? “They’re my soul mate.”

“Now, do you mean that, or are you just saying it?”

“I mean it, 100%,” I huff, trying to fall back into the garden. “I’m never going to find someone better than them, and I don’t want to.”

“Alright, Harry. What else can you remember?”

“I’m alone in a room, with a ball in front of me,” I hummed. This scene is vaguer than most I’ve been having recently. “My eyes are closed, and I’m meditating. The female figure is giving me directions again, and she’s telling me to stick my arm out.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, but I do it. I trust her,” I explained. “A beam of light shoots out from my arm.”

“A beam of light?”

“Yes, it burns a mark in the wall,” I said, trying to focus. “She’s stunned. She backs away from me, telling me that she’s never seen anything like it.”

“Are you making this up, Harry?”

“No,” I snapped, pulling myself out of the vision forcefully. It hurts my head. “I can’t believe you’d think I make this up.”

“Harry, do you honestly believe that you can shoot light from your arm?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.

“No, but, I’m not making this shit up,” I growled, crossing my arms across my chest. “I’m not stupid, I know that that can’t happen. But I also know that I’d never make this up!”

“Calm down, Harry,” Mr. Pann whispered, setting his pad of paper on the side table. “I had to ask to be sure. If you believed it, I would have to ask questions about your sanity.”

“I’m perfectly sane,” I groan, leaning against the back of the couch. “I’m just telling you what I remember.”

“Then could we assume that it was a dream that you remembered?”

“Sure, if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Alright, Harry. Would you like to continue, or would you like to talk about what you’ve remembered today?”

“Can we talk about the loving figure?” I blushed, dropping my arms. “I really want to remember more about them.”

“Alright,” he said, flipping to a new page on his pad. “What about them?”

“Well, what do you have written about them so far?”

He glanced through the previous pages. “Well, we know that they’re a he, you trust him very much, you two had a sexual relationship, and you consider him your soul mate. What else?”

“He likes carnations,” I smiled, trying to imagine the figure. “That’s all I know. Oh! And I think his name was Mercury.”

“Mercury?” Mr. Pann furrowed his brow, but wrote it down anyways. “What a strange name. Why do you think that?”

“I don’t know, really,” I shrugged, blushing slightly. “I think it fits.”

“Well,” he smiled softly, adjusting his glasses. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Can you do some analyzation or something of our relationship?” I flushed, lacing my fingers together in my lap. “I don’t know, I feel like he’s the key to unlocking my memories.”

“Well, without him actually being here, I can’t,” he sighed. “How about, instead, you tell me about your most vivid memory of him?”

“We’re, uh, in a garden, and he tells me to choose my favorite flower for our wedding.”

“Your wedding?”

“Yeah, we were engaged,” I admitted, looking away from the man. “I asked him to marry me, and he agreed. I got to meet his mom, and she likes me a lot.”

“What is his mom like?”

“I don’t remember,” I sighed, closing my eyes. “She was very similar to him- very warm, very gentle.”

“Alright, Harry, this is going to be a little more difficult for you: What does he look like?”

Swallowing nervously, I tried to focus on the figure. He was blurry, with splotches of color littered around his body.

“I think he has blue eyes,” I whispered, concentrating on his face. “Blue, but not bland. They’re blue in the same way that the sun is yellow; accurate, but doesn’t even begin to cover it. They’re glossy and beautiful.”

“Very good, Harry, what else?”

“He has brown hair,” I continued, tilting my head back against the couch. “It’s like rich honey, with reds and browns and it’s like melted caramel on his head. It’s radiant and soft, feathery even. I can’t wait until I can touch it again.”

“When will you touch it again?”

“In my dreams, I dream about him every night,” I admitted, smiling slightly. “He comes to me and holds me in his arms, telling me that he misses me and that he loves me. He lets me play with his hair and bury my face into his chest and I’m home, he’s my home.”

“Wait, so, Harry,” Mr. Pann said, snapping his fingers in front of my face to get my attention back. “If he’s your home, your soul mate, your _fiance_ , why are you dating Nick?”

“I don’t want to hurt him.”

“That’s the worst reason to date someone,” he sighed, standing from his chair to sit next to me. His arm slid around my shoulders, a knowing smile on his lips. “Harry, if you don’t like him, then you shouldn’t lead him on. Let him know how you’re feeling, and if he’s as good of a best friend as you say he is, then he’ll understand.”

“You…” I looked up at the man. “You really think so?”

"Harry, I know so. You should talk to him and tell him everything."


	32. Chapter 32

“What…?” Nick breathed, stumbling back in shock. His back hit the locker behind him, causing him to stop. “What are you- _what_?”

“Nick,” I repeated, closing my eyes slowly to avoid the pain in his eyes. “I don’t think I can date you any longer.”

“Harry, why are you doing this?” he asked quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t understand.”

“I just… It’s hard to explain,” I sighed, turning back to my locker to try and change the subject. “We don’t have enough time before class.”

“I’m not leaving this spot until you tell me,” he hissed, grabbing my shoulder to make me face him. “I deserve to know.”

The bell rang, making us the last two in the halls.

“Nick,” I started, glancing up at the man. He looked hurt, holding my shirt as if it’s the only thing that would keep me from vanishing again. “I… There are some things that therapy has brought up, and it’s made me realize that I don’t like you the way you like me.”

“I don’t care,” he begged, his eyes beginning to water. “I don’t care if you don’t like me back. I want you. I mean, I _need_ you Hazza.”

“Please,” I sighed, biting my lip. “You deserve someone who loves you, and who only loves you.”

“Are you trying to tell me-” he took a deep breath, lightly running his fingers over my cheek. “You love someone _else_?”

“It’s… I don’t know how to explain it, Nick,” I whispered, flinching away from his touch. “When I was gone, there was someone who… They were everything to me, and I don’t feel right doing anything with you until I learn a little more about them.”

“You’re breaking up with me for your _kidnapper_?”

“I… I don’t think it was him,” I said quietly, gripping the hem of my sleeve to distract myself from the pain bubbling in my belly. “This guy was gentle and- Nick, I just can’t date you anymore.”

“But I love you,” he breathed, leaning in to kiss me.

Gently pushing the man away, I turned back to my locker. “You’re my best friend, Nick, and I can’t stand by and watch you have your heart broken by someone who doesn’t love you. I’m sorry.”

He fell against the wall, covering his eyes in shock. “I can’t believe this.”

“I’m so sorry,” I stammered, trying to fight the tears in my own eyes. “This is just… this is how it has to be.”

“C-can we still be friends?” Nick begged, his voice wavering slightly.

“Please.”

“I just… I’ll need some time…” he warned, stabilizing himself on the locker. “I’ll come talk to you when I’m r-ready.”

“Okay,” I whispered, gripping my books as tight as I could. “Okay. I’m so sorry, Nick.”

His footsteps retreated from where I was standing, leaving me alone in the hallway.

-

Although I was home alone after school, waiting for Mum to come and get me for therapy, I felt like someone was watching me. As I put the dishes away from the dishwasher, I caught the reflection in the microwave of someone standing in the doorway; I froze immediately, clutching the plate I was holding.

“W-who are you?” I whispered, swallowing the fear in my throat. “And why have you been following me?”

There was silence, prompting me to turn and face the figure.

It was a boy, shell-shocked and frozen in place. Bruises scattered across his neck and collarbones(the only parts visible by his shirt) and there was a blood stain on his pants. His blue eyes felt familiar, even though they were stunned wide open. Those eyes werere so bright and blue that I thought that he had his own personal sky inside of him.

“I said, who are you?”

“You- you weren’t supposed to see me,” he breathed, and oh _god_ , his voice wrapped around me and drowned me in nostalgia of something I didn’t remember. “I- you have to forget you saw me. I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”

“Wait,” I stammered, stepping closer after setting the plate on the counter. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not allowed to see you, I shouldn’t be here, and you- you have to go back to your normal life,” he ordered, backing away from me. “Please continue being happy with what’s-his-face, and I’ll leave you alone.”

“You’re not leaving until you explain this to me!” I yelled, grabbing his wrist. The contact sent shivers up my spine, and somehow I _knew_ that he was the loving figure from my memories. “Please… don’t leave me.”

He gazed at where we were touching, before slowly bringing his eyes up to my face. “I promised I would never leave you,” he said quietly, his face blank yet expressive at the same time.

I took another step closer, and was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t pull away. My hand slid down into his, lacing our fingers together hesitantly. “Why have you been following me?” I whispered, noticing his eyes were half-closed and flickering between mine and my lips.

“I want to make sure you’re alright,” he replied, his lips slightly parted. “I thought it would be hard for you to readjust to your normal life.”

“You were right,” I breathed, as it dawned on me that we were probably going to be kissing any second. My tongue darted out to wet my lips, then I said, “It’s been really hard.”

“It’s a good thing you have your boy, Nick,” he remarked in a hushed voice. “He seems like he’d help you.”

“I broke up with him today,” I stated, tightening my grip on his hand. “I didn’t feel the way I thought I did.”

His eyes glimmered with something I could only express as hope, and he leaned forward to kiss me. My eyes closed immediately as his free hand lightly cupped my cheek, delicately and yes, he definitely was the loving figure. His breath was hot on my face, inching ever closer, when the front door opened.

“Harry?” Mum’s voice called. “Will you help me get groceries out of the trunk?”

We both froze until I pulled away, mouthing _Go_ , then said, “Yeah, give me a second.”

He was gone within a second.


	33. Chapter 33

“Mr. Pann,” I sighed, spacing out and gazing out the window. “If I was to ever meet the loving figure again, what should I say to them?”

“It depends,” he hummed, tapping his pen against his pad of paper. “What do you want to say to him?”

“I want him to tell me everything,” I shrugged, playing with the carnation behind my ear. I had taken this out of the vase before I left, in an attempt to relax myself slightly. “I want him to explain what happened in the month of November, and who he is, and what we were.”

“Alright,  do you want to be nice about it or harsh about it?”

“Nice,” I decided, watching the rain. “I think he’d respond better to it.”

“Before we continue, Harry, I have to make sure,” he said, leaning forward. “This is purely hypothetical, right? You haven’t seen him, have you?”

“No, no,” I lied, shaking my head. “I just want to be prepared.”

“Are you planning on seeing him any time soon?”

“I wish,” I forced, tearing up slightly. I had finally met him, and now I might never see him ever again. “I just want to be ready.”

“Okay, Harry,” he smiled, leaning back against his chair. “Well, you should start by asking him his name, and telling him yours. If he, you know, already remembers your name, you should ask him why you forgot everything.”

“What if he doesn’t want me to remember?” Closing my eyes, I replayed the words in his head from earlier; _you have to forget you saw me_. “I mean, I lost my memories for _some_ reason.”

“You have a right to those memories,” Mr. Pann remarked. “They’re _your_ memories, and if he really loved you, he’d let you have them.”

“But what if he’s trying to protect me? What if there’s something… something terrible?” I shuddered slightly. “I know he loves me, I can feel it.”

“Good or bad, every single one of us deserves to have our memories,” he continued. “He can’t protect you from everything, Harry.”

“I know, but still,” I mumbled, opening my eyes to look at the therapist. “He’s trying his hardest, I’m sure.”

“Anyways, let’s continue,” he sighed. “Do you tell him about your boyfriend?”

“Oh, I broke up with Nick earlier,” I shrugged. “You were right about him- he understood, I think. He’s not happy, but I think he’ll be okay.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Alright, so we don’t tell Mercury about your now ex-boyfriend,” he hummed, scribbling something down on his paper. “What else do you want to tell him?”

“I want to tell him I love him.”

“Harry, is that something you really want to just say?” He furrowed his brow, leaning forward. “Wouldn’t you agree that it’s a little premature? You don’t even remember anything about him.”

“Fine,” I huffed. “After he tells me everything, _then_ I’ll tell him I love him.”

-

Light from the moon spilled in from the open window. It was almost midnight, and the cold air chilled my room and my body.

Still, I refused to fall asleep.

He would come back, I knew it. Eventually, he would be back, and then I would talk to him. Of course, I had been waiting for at least two hours already. Tomorrow was a school day, and if he started to affect my work, I would be very cross.

My eyes began to flutter shut, despite my best attempts to stay awake. I teetered back and forth from where I was sitting, and, after a moment, I snapped myself out of it by slapping my cheeks.

“Dammit Mercury,” I huffed, punching my bed frustratedly. “This isn’t fair. How come you can see me whenever you want, but I have to be alone?”

No response, not even a flower like normal.

“I’m tired and cranky,” I pouted, closing my eyes to stop the burning. “I want to sleep, but I don’t want to miss you.”

My body fell to one side, tired and beginning to shut off for the night. As my head hit the pillow, I realized that it wasn’t actually a pillow, and was actually someone’s lap. I immediately shot up, glancing up at figure that had appeared.

“H-hi,” I stammered, gazing up at the man who was half-turned away.

“Hey,” he breathed, refusing to look at me. “You can go to sleep now, if you want.”

“No, no,” I mumbled, sitting up again to look at him in full. His blue tunic was torn, revealing dark bruises and scratch marks over his chest and belly. A long gash traced from his collarbone to under his armpit, red and fresh looking. “Are you… are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Harry, please go to sleep,” he stated, gently running his hand over bruises in the shape of someone’s fingers on his neck. “I’m not even supposed to be here.”

“I’m serious, though,” I whispered, lightly placing my fingers against his chin. “You look hurt. Should I go get some bandages, or something?”

“Don’t bother yourself with me,” he insisted, still knocking my hand away. “I’m okay.”

“Please look at me,” I begged, tears filling my eyes. “Please.”

He furrowed his brow, before slowly turning to face me.

“Oh my god,” I gasped, ghosting my fingers over his cheek. The area around his eye was stained yellow with bright red bruising in the shape of a fist. It made his eyes pop; they became the color of forget-me-nots against the sunset. “Who did this?”

“It’s nothing,” he interrupted, grabbing my wrist to keep me from touching any more. “You need your sleep, don’t you? Why don’t you jus-”

“Don’t fucking patronize me,” I hissed, slapping his hand away. “Tell me what’s going on, and why you’ve been beaten up.”

He gazed at me for a long moment, his face devoid of any emotion. “It’s a long story, Harry,” he eventually said, closing his eyes. “You wouldn’t understand any of it, either.”

“First,” I huffed, slipping my fingers into his palm. “I feel terrible for having to ask this, but I don’t remember your name.”

He laughed slightly. “It’s Louis.”

“Louis,” I repeated, my body flooding with emotions just from that. “Please, Louis, tell me everything.”

“I’m not allowed to, His Majesty would kill me if-”

“His Majesty?”

“Well, technically Your Majesty, but-”

“ _My_ Majesty?”

“See? It’s confusing and you don’t need to worry about it,” Louis chuckled, shaking his head. “You should just go back to your life, Harry. Just forget about today, forget about me. You’ll be happier for it.”

“How am I supposed to be happy without you?” I breathed, tracing my fingers up his arm.

We were both silent for a long while, him in shock and me too embarrassed to speak.

“Do you really want to know?”

“More than anything in the world.”

His hand caressed my cheek, forcing me to look up at him. “You’re not human, Harry,” the caramel-haired man started, not smiling but not frowning, either. “Well, not completely. You’re half human, half Eximius. We’re a sub-species of Humans, except that we have magic.”

“M-magic,” I repeated, blinking several times. “That explains how you appear and disappear instantly.”

“You… you believe me?” he asked, furrowing his brows.

“I believe you,” I nodded, smiling widely. “I don’t know why, it sounds insane, but I believe you. So my dad wasn’t insane?”

“Your dad wasn’t insane,” he grinned, faintly rubbing circles into my cheek bone. “I came to awaken you just over five weeks ago, and recently, you actually learned your role.”

“Slow down,” I laughed, pressing a finger over his lips. “What does it mean to awaken?”

“Right, sorry,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “It means your magic, uh, started developing, and your role is the thing that you’re supposed to do with your life.”

“Alright,” I said, lowering my hand. “Continue.”

“Thank you,” he chuckled. “You’re the most important person in our Kingdom. You were the Oracle, which is basically the advisor to the King and Queen.”

“What about…” I paused for a second to gather the courage. “What about us? What were we?”

“You and I…” He smiled pathetically, shaking his head. “We were engaged to be married.”

“That’s what I thought, that’s what I remember,” I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I remember being engaged to you, Louis.”

“We’re not engaged anymore,” he snapped, removing himself from my grip. “About a month ago, you split yourself in two. You,” he gestured to my body. “Had no memories of Eximius, and you were sent back here to live the rest of your normal life. The other Harry stayed to rule, and he… He’s not you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s cruel and power-hungry,” Louis explained. “As soon as he could, he broke off our engagement. Since he’s the Oracle, no one could really tell him no. He’s, uh, he’s been abusive towards me, and he claims it’s my ‘punishment’ for something.”

“I… I’ve been the one hurting you?” I whimpered, gently lifting my fingers to his black eye. “I gave you these bruises?”

“No, Harry,” he whispered, leaning into my touch. “I have a theory that the Human part of you was the good part, and the Eximius part is the cruel part. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s still half me,” I sniffled, closing my eyes while pressing a soft kiss to his swollen eyelid. “I’m so sorry, Louis.”

“You couldn’t do something like this to me,” he sighed. “His Majesty has done some… _terrible_ things. Like… He locked the King and Queen in the dungeon, told the world that they’re being punished for treason, and has taken over their roles. He’s invalidated Zayn’s and Liam’s marriage-”

“Who?”

“Zayn and Liam, my best friends,” he explained with a sigh. “They’ve been married for two years, but because Liam is the General, his marriage is subject to the will of the Oracle.”

“So he just ended their marriage?” I murmured, shaking my head. “That’s cruel.”

“Not just that,” he continued. “Because of the way our society is, the General’s spouse has to be killed. Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, Zayn’s going to be beheaded.”

“Beheaded?!” I cried. “T-that’s terrible!”

“Liam’s not even allowed to see his husband, either,” Louis shook his head, tearing up slightly as he turned away again. “It’s been two days, and Liam’s been absolutely destroyed the entire time. He’s beginning to go insane, while Zayn has accepted his death. He has also banned me from seeing you-”

“But you do,” I repeated.

“I’m going to stop.”

I opened my eyes, gazing at him with stunned awe. “Why would you stop?”

“I told you, I’m not allowed to see you,” the boy whispered, refusing to look at me.

“I think… I think I still have feelings for you, Louis,” I stammered, reaching forward to grab his torn shirt. “I can’t sleep unless I’m thinking about you- not that I remembered what you look like, but I still know it’s you. I’m scared of how I feel about you. Please… don’t stop.”

His jaw was trembling as I scooted closer. “Harry, you have to.. you have to forget about me..”

“How could I ever forget about you?” I breathed, swallowing what little amount of pride I had left. “I… I love you.”

You could watch all of his walls shatter, all of his shields break, all of his wards fall. Before I could react, the caramel-haired boy had his face buried into my shoulder, his entire body being wracked by sobs. “I love you too, Harry, I love you so much,” he cried, gripping my bare arms as tight as he could. “I’m so lost without you, I don’t know what to do, I’m so broken… How am I supposed to live without you?”

My arms wrapped around his waist, shushing him gently. “You don’t have to, sweetheart. Come live here, with me, and we can escape from the Eximius world together.”

He shook his head. “I can’t, I can’t do that to you, I can’t put that pressure on you-”

“I don’t want to live without you, Louis,” I whispered into his hair. “And I don’t care what it takes- whether we have to run away together or die together, I just want to be with you.”

“You- you’d die for me?”

I pressed my lips to his forehead. “I’d die for you.”

“I love you, Harry,” he whispered, lifting his head to look at me. “I love you, and only you.”

“I love you too, Louis,” I smiled, cupping his cheeks. “Be with me, here in this world.”

“Okay,” he sobbed, slamming his eyes shut to slow down the tears. “Okay, Harry, okay.”

“No matter what,” I breathed, leaning forward to kiss him. “We’ll make it, just you and me.”

Our lips pressed together, knocking all the breath out of my lungs, setting fire to my brain, and spreading warmth through my body. He tasted of blood and a hint of vanilla. His hand lightly traced up my bare chest, sending tingles down my spine while also filling my heart with butterflies and light. His fingers pressed to the heart around my nipple, causing me to flinch back away from him with a gasp.

Then something strange happened.

_“Your sister isn’t a lesbian, is she?”_

_“Not that I’m aware,” I huffed, squeezing the pillow. “I don’t know, we don’t talk very much.”_

_“Is she a virgin?”_

_“I don’t know!”_

_“You’re glowing.”_

_My cheeks colored. “Thanks, love.”_

_“No,” he shook his head. “You’re actually glowing.”_

_Blinking once, I lifted my hand and was surprised to see a pure white light illuminating from my skin._

_“I’m, uh, Harry,” I mumbled, pulling my knees to my chest while wrapping the duvet over me. “Can I t-talk to Louis?”_

_He stared blankly for a moment._

_“Louis? You know, the messenger guy,” I explained, chewing on my lip. “I want to talk to him, is that okay?”_

_“All the staff are busy right now,” Paul hummed, bowing his head slightly._

_“Your parents didn’t tell you anything?” Calum whispered, as if it was hard to understand. “Not even that you were one of us? That’s ridiculous.”_

_“I guess not,” I shrugged, clenching my fists in the water. “I’m still trying to get used to the idea that this is all really happening.”_

_“Well, you’re in good hands, at least,” Luke comforted, although his movements were getting closer to my ass with every second. “Paul is one of the best guards in the entire castle, which is why he was assigned to you.”_

_At my confused look, Michael continued. “The Styles legacy is the longest, dating back to the beginning of the Eximius. If there was any family you could’ve been born into, this one was the best.”_

_“‘M Niall.”_

_“Harry,” I said._

_“Yeh, I saw you come down,” the blond beamed, turning to face me. “Y’looked good.”_

_“Oh, uh, thank you,” I blushed, redirecting my gaze to the ground._

_With a grin, he said, “Anyways, in our world, we’re only supposed to have ‘intimate connections’,” air quotes, “with two people: the messenger sent to awaken you, and your wife-slash-husband. The only exception is if you get remarried after being widowed or becoming a widower.”_

_“Why’s that?”_

_“Just something that we do,” he explained with a shrug. “We take it pretty seriously, as well. If it gets out that you even kissed someone you weren’t at least engaged to, you can get shunned pretty quickly.”_

_“So I’ve got to be completely sure about the rest of my life?”_

_“I can’t take a Liberi from the grounds without permission, and especially not a Styles.”_

_“I don’t want to be a Styles anymore,” I blurted, furrowing my brows and pressing against his collarbones. “Everyone treats me like I’m some sort of god but I’m just a dumb kid with social anxiety.”_

_His fingers lightly massaged my scalp as he played with my hair. “You’re not just a dumb kid, Harry. You’re a dumb kid with a huge legacy riding on your shoulders, and people are going to expect a lot from you.”_

_“Diligo.”_

_His jaw dropped slightly as his eyes widened, before they translated into a smile. “C’mere,” Louis ordered, tangling his fingers in my hair to pull me closer. We kissed again, softer than any time previously, causing our chests to brush and our legs to interlock. “Diligo,” he breathed into the kiss._

_We kissed for another few minutes, before he pulled off to kiss my nose and forehead. “Diligo, beautiful.”_

_“I have a really busy day today, and this is really the only time I had to give you a good morning kiss.”_

_I had to chew my lip to hold back the smile that was growing there. “So, you woke me up at ungodly in the morning to give me a kiss?”_

_“That is exactly what I did,” he agreed, pecking my lips again._

_“And of course, we all know the Oracle’s Munus: it’s printed on every ceremonial banner,” she drew a circle on the board. “Simple, yet empowering, this Munus represents the Sun, the Earth, the Stars, and the Crystal Ball that’s been passed down through generations. It also represents an egg, which is, of course, the sign of new beginnings. This is the widely accepted reason that the Oracle has always been a woman, since women produce eggs.”_

_“W-wait,” I cried out, desperately grasping at the handle of my own blade. Wasn’t it obvious how much worse I was? Why wasn’t she stopping? “Penelo-”_

_My foot slipped out from underneath me, and the blade slipped out of my hand. I hopelessly tried to reach behind, to soften my fall on the grass, but as soon as I took my eyes off of the blonde girl, her sword struck my temple. My vision flashed white, and I collapsed._

_“I do really want to be your friend, I guess I just got excited about your last name. Could you forgive me?”_

_“No, Niall,” I grinned, shaking my head. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”_

_“So…” he beamed. “Friends?”_

_“Friends.”_

_“A Sodalis is like your boyfriend or girlfriend. After you say the L word, they become your Uxor, which is like the fiancer.”_

_“Fiance.”_

_“Yeah, sorry,” Zayn laughed. “And after you marry, they become your Socii, or spouse.”_

_There, against the pure white pillowcases, was a light grey stuffed animal in the shape of a cat. “Louis..” I mumbled, reaching forward and petting it._

_“I know, it’s not Nick, and it’s really kinda shitty,” he rambled, sitting back down on the edge of the mattress. “But it’s something you can hold, and you can cry to him all you want, and he’ll listen without any judgements, and-”_

_“Him?” I interrupted, lifting the ridiculously soft plush to my chest._

_His face turned bright pink. “Well, uh, yeah, his name is Mercury, and, uh,” he lowered his voice until I could barely hear him. “He was my toy when I was growing up.”_

_“I want to stay by your side as long as I can,” Louis mumbled against my forehead. “So, uh, will you be my Sodalis?”_

_“So what if my status is higher than yours? So what if I’m expected to be King?” I pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “It won’t be worth anything if I don’t have you.”_

_He laughed slightly. “You’re stupid, Harry.”_

_I stood up and turned to face the rest of the class. “Attention!” I called, clapping my hands together. “I am gay. I do not like girls. That is all.”_

_Niall let out another scream, causing his grip to tighten, and I swear to god I heard something crack in my hand. His breath was parse and light and tears were streaming down his face and a woman pressed her fingers to his forehead. Instantly, he was calm._

_“U-uh?” I sniffled, using my free hand to wipe my nose._

_“He’ll be in a coma until his Munus is fully developed.”_

_“You’re the first hybrid since the very first generation- that’s insane,” Zayn stammered, setting his hands on my shoulders. “This can’t be real, you- you’re not stable, you could crash.”_

_“I can’t be Oracle,” I sputtered, gripping the pillowcase. “I’m a guy- plus, I haven’t awoken!”_

_“Galaxy has chosen every single Oracle, by doing exactly what he’s doing now.”_

_“Harry, sweetheart,” she begged, wrapping her arms around me. Setting my head on her shoulder, I let out a broken sob as she ran her fingers through my hair. “It’s okay. Sometimes we see things we wish we didn’t.”_

_“As the Oracle,” I interrupted, remembering what Minnie said about no one being able to tell me ‘anything, one way or another’. “As the Oracle, I change your role from Messenger to Oracle’s Personal Servant.”_

_“You can’t do that,” he said with disbelief._

_“Try and stop me.”_

_“I love you-”_

_His face lit up, grinning wildly. “I love you too, Harry! I love you so much.”_

_“Our kids,” Louis repeated, grinning against my skin. “I like the sound of that.”_

_“Well, love finds a way,” I teased, holding Louis tighter._

_“We’re engaged.”_

_“God, I love you.”_

 

“Harry, I’m so sorry,” Louis breathed, pulling his hand away. “I didn’t mean to touch your Munus, I should’ve explained what it is, I’m sor-”

I cut him off with a kiss, before whispering, “I remember.”


	34. Chapter 34

“You what?” Louis whispered in disbelief.

“I remember everything,” I grinned, tears of joy springing to my eyes. “When you touched my Munus, everything came back to me. Our relationship, the Kingdom, Niall, Liam, Zayn- oh my god, _Zayn_! We have to go and save him.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” the caramel-haired boy huffed, clapping his hand over my mouth. “If you have all your memories, then who’s pretending to be you?”

“I think I have an idea,” I hissed through his fingers, tightening my grip on the boy. “Louis, I need you to go to Marie and get healed, alright? I’m going to go downstairs and leave my mom a note, then I’ll be ready to go back to the Kingdom.”

“I can’t,” he sighed. “His Majesty has banned all the healers from working on me.”

“Dammit,” I growled, punching my knee. What else could I do- wait. “Let me leave a note, I think I know someone who can help us.”

-

“Dad,” I called, knocking on the door of his apartment. It was around 4:30pm in L.A., and his office had said he had the day off.

Footsteps came to the door before it swung open, revealing a very aged version of a face I knew well. He stared at me for a long moment, recognition dawning on his face. “Harry?”

“Dad, I need your help,” I breathed, gesturing to the boy who was glued to my side. “Louis is hurt and no one will heal him.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Louis whispered, nodding his head. “It’s an honor.”

“Harry, you should take him to a hospital,” Dad said, ushering us inside anyways. “I’m no doctor.”

“Please, Dad,” I begged, setting the caramel-haired man on the couch. “I know you’re a healer, and I know about the Eximius.”

The older man froze, gazing at me in shock. “How did you find out?”

“Louis reminded me,” I explained, once again gesturing towards the boy. “Please heal him, he’s in a lot of pain.”

“Actually, I’m mostly okay-”

“Shut up, Louis, your chest is bleeding,” I hissed, glaring at him with worry. “We’d take him to the healers in the castle, but someone is pretending to be me, and they’ve banned him from getting help.”

“I’ll heal him, as long as you explain,” Dad agreed, moving to the boy and pressing his fingers to his forehead. Louis winced back, but the bruising across his body was gone, and the wound on his chest disappeared. “There. Now, explain.”

“I’m the Oracle, or at least I was, and then someone was pretending to be me and they wiped my memories and sent me home,” I rambled, rushing to the boy’s side and holding his head to my shoulder. “They’ve been abusing Louis ever since, and I need to take this guy down.”

“Wait,” the older man huffed. “You’re the Oracle? What happened to Oracle Sillen?”

“Retired thirteen years ago,” Louis shrugged, resting his head on my collarbones. “Oracle Reed replaced her until about half a month ago when your son took the role.”

“I’m so proud of you, Harry,” Dad beamed, shuffling my hair. “So what are you going to do about this phony?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but we need to get going,” I said, running my fingers over the caramel-hair. “Come on, Louis, take me to the Oracle’s practice room. Thank you very much, Dad.”

“Just come and visit me, alright?” he smiled, waving at us slightly before we disappeared into the dark room.

“Harry, I’m not supposed to be here,” Louis stammered, letting go of me as I rushed to the box on the shelf. “I could get in a shit load of trouble for this.”

“I’m the Oracle, and it’s fine,” I huffed, opening the box. The crystal ball lit up as I touched it, sending familiar tingles down my arm. “Now, Lou, I need to go to my wardrobe.”

“It’s midnight,” he hissed, grabbing my wrist. “You- the _other_ you is probably asleep, and they’ll be able to hear us.”

“I just need my robes,” I replied, kissing his nose. “I’ll go in, grab them, and leave.”

“Alright,” he breathed, slamming his eyes shut. We were suddenly in my closet, and, to my surprise, the practice robes were hanging from a bar. I took them in my hands, then nodded at the boy, who sent us back to the practice room. “Okay, now what?”

“Now we gather the troops,” I grinned, pressing a kiss to his lips quickly. “Where’s a place in the Castle that no one ever goes to?”

“There’s an abandoned room in the back of the library,” he said, thinking for a long time. “It’s been ignored since Oracle Corra.”

“Will you put these in there?” I asked, handing him the ball which I had wrapped up in the robes.

He nodded, disappearing for a second before coming back. “What next?”

“Take me to Zayn’s cell,” I ordered, and then we were in a dingy room. The lights were dim, leaving nothing but a small amount of the floor in complete darkness. Water was dripping from the floor, and moss was growing on the walls.

“Who’s there?” a small voice came from the corner, barely loud enough to be heard. “My Supplicium isn’t for another six hours…”

“Zayn?” Louis whispered, stepping into the darkness. “Zayn, it’s me, I’m here to bust you out.”

“Lou?” the raven-haired man got to his feet slowly, taking a long time to come closer, before burying his face in his friend’s shoulder. “You’re going to be killed, Lou, you can’t take me from here.”

“Come on, Z,” I smiled, rubbing his shoulder; he jumped in surprise. “It’s me, like, real me, not evil me.”

“I took him back from the Human world,” the caramel-haired boy explained softly. “But we’ll explain in a moment. We’ve got to get you somewhere safe.”

A hand slid onto my arm, and then all three of us were in a small, windowless room. Now in actual light, it was much easier to see just how dirty Zayn had gotten. His normally flawless hair was down, covering his forehead and most of his cheeks. The normal glow of his face was gone, and he was wearing torn clothing with stains all over it.

“Oh, baby,” Louis whispered, wrapping his arms around his friend tightly. “You’re okay now.”

“We’ll go get Liam next,” I promised, playing with his hair. “We’ll be back in a moment, sit down and make yourself comfortable.”

“Alright,” he whispered, stepping away from the boy towards a small bookshelf.

The caramel-haired boy blinked, taking us to the bedroom I had been in once before. “Liam.”

“Go away, Louis,” the brunet sobbed from the bed, adjusting the blanket over his head. “I just want to die.”

“Please don’t,” I begged, sitting on the edge of the mattress. The brown-eyed boy shot into a sitting position, his eyes wide.

“Your Majesty.”

“It’s just me, Li,” I shrugged, running my hand over his forearm. “We’ve got Zayn, he’s alright, and now we need you and Niall.”

“We’re taking down the Oracle,” Louis explained, shaking his head slightly. “Or, at least, Harry thinks he can.”

“Are you the double?” he asked, furrowing his brows.

“Technically, I’m the original, but yeah, I was the one sent to the Human world,” I grinned, grabbing his hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

Another blink and we were back in the small room. The raven-haired boy leapt from his seat, running towards his husband as fast as he could. Liam caught him in a tight hug, burying his face in his hair.

“Oh my god, Zayn,” he sobbed, balling his fingers in the fabric of his lover’s shirt. “I thought I would never see you again.”

“Liam,” the man cried, gripping his husband’s shoulders like there was no tomorrow. “I love you, I love you so much, I never want to be without you, oh god, Liam…”

“We’ll, uh, leave you two alone,” Louis grinned, transporting us to another room.

“Who the fuck is there?” A familiar irish voice spat from behind us. I spun on my heel to be face-to-face with my old best friend. “Oh, Your Majesty, I’m so sorry-”

“It’s me, Ni,” I grinned, reaching forward to the boy. “I’m back from the Human world, and I need your help to take down the imposter.”

“You want me to commit _treason_?” he hissed, shaking his head. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Please, Niall,” Louis begged, stepping forward. “We already have Liam and Zayn, but we need you.”

“You already have the General?” He furrowed his brows, before turning away. “Let me grab my stuff.”

“You’re going to help us?”

“I trust Payne more than anything,” the blond grinned, lifting a large bag from the corner. “If he’s for this, then I’ll help too.”

“Thank you Ni,” I beamed, wrapping my arms around him tightly. Louis set his hands on our shoulders, and then we were back in the library room. Zayn had his legs hooked on Liam's hips, who was rubbing his back and rocking him back and forth.

“I love you so much,” Zayn whispered, his voice wavering quite a bit. “I thought I was going to die.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Liam replied, trembling. “You’re my soul mate, and I just- I just can’t live without you. I was going to kill myself tomorrow after your Supplicium…”

“We’ve lived together, and we’ll die together,” the raven-haired boy promised, kissing his husband passionately.

“General,” Niall interrupted, causing the couple to break apart.

“Sorry, sorry,” they said at the same time, both blushing quite a bit.

“Harry, what now?” Louis asked, looking at me with worry. “We’ve got about three hours before they realize Zayn is missing.”

“Well…”


	35. Chapter 35

“Here’s the plan,” I huffed, drawing an overhead view of the ballroom on a piece of paper. “Louis, you’re going to be bait. You have to get the fake down here-” I tapped the pencil to the middle of the dance floor- “then get back up to the balcony with the rest of us. Zayn, Liam, and Niall will take on whatever guards that come to fight, and I’ll attack my double.”

“Wait, so what happens after I trick His Majesty?” the caramel-haired boy asked, not taking his eyes off of the page. “What do I do?”

“You hide-”

“Bullshit, I’m not hiding,” he hissed, pushing himself away from the table we were all sitting at. “I’m the best here with a sword! I’m gonna be in the middle of the action!”

“Louis, _please_ ,” I sighed, pinching my temple. I was so tired that I was developing a headache.

“Harry, you can’t even lift a sword,” Liam added, scratching the back of his neck with one hand while holding his husband’s hand in the other. ”Maybe it would be better if Louis fought instead.”

“I’m not going to be using a sword,” I  explained, standing from the table to collect my bundle of fabric in the corner. “I’m going to be using the crystal ball to, uh, attack him.”

“Then what am I doing, Haz?” he demanded, crossing his arms. “I’m not going to sit back and watch you guys fight.”

“You’re the secret weapon,” I finally groaned, rubbing my temples. Eventually I needed to sleep if I was going to get anything done. “If anything should happen to me, you need to be the one to take the fake down.”

“What do you mean, if anything happens to you?” Niall whispered, furrowing his brow. “You _can_ take him down, right?”

“I think so.”

“You _think so_?” Louis snapped, getting to his feet to stand next to me. “I’m not gonna let you do this if you’re just going to die!”

“If I don’t die, other people will!” I yelled back, causing my head to burn. “I can’t… I can’t fight you about this right now, Louis. I’m tired, and I just want to take out this phony.”

“Why don’t you take a nap?” Zayn suggested, resting his head on his husband’s shoulder. “The fake Harry is still asleep for another few hours.”

“Alright,” I nodded, closing my eyes. “Where should I rest?”

“I can go get you a pillow from my room,” Lou rolled his eyes, before disappearing. Within seconds, he was back with a large duvet and a small pillow. “Come on, why don’t you sleep in this corner?”

“Thank you guys,” I whispered, letting myself fall to the floor where the caramel-haired man had set up the make-shift bed. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“I’ve been asleep all day,” the raven-haired man shrugged. “Not much to do in my cell.”

“Me too,” Liam agreed, wrapping his arm around his husband’s shoulders. “Depression is one hell of a narcoleptic.”

“I just got off my shift, so I only woke up a few hours ago,” Niall added, leaning back in his chair.  “You can go to sleep, we’ll stay up tweaking the plan so everyone survives.”

“What about you, Louis?” I mumbled, setting my head on the pillow.

“I’m fine-”

“Lou, you’ve been up all day,” Zayn hissed, pointing towards the floor. “Go sleep with your boyfriend.”

“But-”

“I know, it’s ‘ruining the sanctity of marriage’ to hold him in front of us, but this might be the last time you get a chance,” he interrupted, snapping his fingers. “Take a fucking nap.”

The caramel-haired boy let out a frustrated huff, but laid down beside me, wrapping the blankets over us. His hands slid onto my waist, tugging me closer and burying his face in my hair. “G’night, Haz.”

“I love you,” I breathed into his ear, holding him as tight as I could. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he mumbled quietly, his face pinkening. “I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

“Stop whispering and _go to sleep_!”

-

As the two boys fell asleep, the blond turned back to his friends. “How are we going to keep him from dying?”

“We protect him, I guess,” Zayn sighed, setting his head on the table. “The problem is that Harry is just so stubborn. He’s stubborn and so is Louis.”

“And they’re on opposite sides, too,” Liam added, rubbing his husband’s back. “Louis wants to protect Harry and Harry wants to protect Louis.”

“Alright, but I have to ask,” Niall said in a hushed voice, leaning forward. “How are we sure that _this_ is the real Harry?”

The other two were silent for a long time, turning back to stare at the sleeping figure.

“Louis trusts him,” the brunet finally said, shrugging slightly. “And if Lou trusts him, I guess I do too.”

“Liam, you’re naive,” the raven-haired man sighed, shaking his head. “This Harry loves Louis, that’s how I know. The Harry that’s currently Oracle- there’s no way that the real Harry would ever raise a hand to Lou. He’d rather die than hurt him.”

“I guess you’re right,” the blond agreed, relief in his voice. “I was just worried, you know? What if we’re helping the wrong one?”

There was a knock on the door, causing all three to shoot to their feet. It swung open, revealing a blonde woman with her hand on the handle of her sword.

“I thought I saw lights in here,” she hissed, drawing the blade slightly. “Niall?”

“Penelope?” the blond gasped, stepping closer. “Penelope, what are you doing here?”

“It’s my patrol shift,” the woman replied, putting her sword back down. Her eyes traced over the other boys in the room, before landing on the raven-haired man. “Isn’t this the prisoner to be executed in a few hours?”

“Penny, it’s not what you think,” he stammered, raising his hands in an attempt to calm her down.

“Niall, are you committing treason?” she hissed, lifting her sword. “I have to- I can’t believe you.”

“Edmunds,” Liam breathed, straightening his back. “As your commander, I order you to listen-”

“You too, General?” she cried, brandishing the blade. “I know he’s your husband, but treason _isn’t_ the answer.”

“Penelope,” Niall whispered, taking her blade in his hand and pressing the tip to his neck. “I need you to trust me if this relationship is going to work. If you really want to punish me-” he tapped the silver sword- “kill me now.”

She stood there for a long while, adjusting the handle several times before dropping it to her side. “You’re a fucking idiot,” the blonde girl snapped, sliding it back into the sheath. “You have exactly thirty seconds to explain.”

“The Oracle’s a fake,” the irishman hurried, wiping the stress from his brow. “And we have the real Harry, and we’re going to be taking down the phony.”

“Alright,” she hummed after a moment, taking a seat at the table. “How can I help?”

“You want to help?” Zayn asked in disbelief. “A second ago you were going to kill us.”

“I thought Oracle Styles wasn’t quite right,” Penelope shrugged, reaching for the piece of paper with the drawing on it. “And if you guys have a plan, then I want to be in it.”

“Perfect,” Liam beamed. “This is how we keep Harry from dying.”


	36. Chapter 36

I opened my eyes slowly, adjusting to the light of the room reluctantly. Quiet conversation lingered from the other side of the room, causing me to sit up and stare at them. There was definitely more people than when I fell asleep.

“Penelope?” I groaned, about to stand up. The boy next to me, however, kept me in my place.

“I’ve joined the ranks,” she beamed. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, we’re working through the plan.”

“What do you have so far?”

“Well,” Liam started, lifting the page of paper. “Niall and I are going to stay at the top of the stairs and fight them there, while Penelope and Zayn take care of the guards on the floor by you.”

“Switch Niall and Zayn, and that’s perfect,” I yawned, shaking the caramel-haired boy awake.

“Why?”

“I, uh-”

“Just in case one of us dies,” Zayn said slowly, staring at me with fear in his eyes. “Just in case one of us dies, our partner is able to say goodbye, right? Isn't that the reason?”

Turning away to avoid an answer, I simply pressed a kiss to Louis’ forehead.

“Harry,” Niall breathed. “That’s not true, is it?”

“I’m not going to lie,” I whispered, slowly getting to my feet. “You guys have a really high chance of dying, and if you want to leave, you can.”

“No way,” the blond scoffed, rolling his eyes. “We’d never let you do this by yourself.”

Louis sat up with a groan, resting his head on my shoulder. “You guys are awesome,” he yawned, stretching his arms. “Thank you for your help.”

“What time is it?” Liam asked.

The caramel-haired boy blinked out, then quickly came back. “It’s around 5:30. Fake Harry is waking up any moment now.”

“Alright,” I sighed, lifting my bundle of fabric from the table. “I need to get changed, and then we can go. Lou, will you convince Eleanor to help us?”

“Yeah, sure, why?”

“We’re going to need her teleportation power,” I explained while stripping my shirt off. “She can teleport up to seven people, right? And there’s six of us- well, you can move yourself, but still.”

“Alright,” he pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

He disappeared, and I turned back to the others.

“What are you staring at?”

“Just your Munus,” Penelope admitted, covering her mouth with one hand. “I didn’t realize it was on your heart.”

With an amused giggle, I pulled the robes on, one after another, until I was fully dressed in proper practice uniform. “How do I look?”

They- all but Liam- were all covering their eyes when I turned back.

“Is something wrong?”

“Only, uh, only the General, King, and Queen are allowed to see you in your divination robes,” Zayn explained, swallowing nervously.

“If you don’t look at me, you’re probably going to die during this battle,” I grinned, rolling my eyes. “It’s not like I’m going to kill you for looking at me.”

“Is that the ceremonial costume?” Niall asked, standing from the table. “It’s a lot less formal than I thought it was.”

“And I need this,” I added, slipping the crystal ball into a pocket in the sleeve. “Are you all ready?”

“I think so,” Liam agreed, suddenly in his ethereal armour. “What about you, Z? Do you have any weapons?”

“Not on me,” he replied, lifting his arms up to show off his rags. “I’m not even wearing any underwear.”

His husband paused, eyeing him over with some sort of lust, maybe. “When Louis gets back, we’ll make sure that changes,” the brunet coughed, lowering the mask over his face before turning to the royal guards. “You two have weapons, though, right?”

“Of course we do,” Penelope rolled her eyes, tapping her belt.

“I brought a bag,” Niall added, pointing to his bag in the corner. “It has my armour and sword.”

“Oh good,” I sighed, pulling my hair back into a ponytail. “So we need something for Zayn, something for Louis, and then we’re ready to go.”

“I’ve got my sword ready,” Louis’ voice came from behind as arms wrapped around my waist. “As soon as I need it, I’ll be able to grab it.”

“Can you take me to my closet, Lou?” Zayn asked, standing from his seat. “I have some light armour in there, as well as my dad’s sword.”

“As you wish,” he huffed, reluctantly letting go of me to take the raven-haired man.

“So you’re the real Harry?” Eleanor asked, appearing on the edge of the table with her legs crossed. “Thank god you’re back, I wasn’t sure if Louis would survive much more abuse.”

“Yeah,” I huffed, clenching my fists. “Anyone who abuses my Uxor is going to die.”

“I think you’re more mad about that than the fact that he’s actually taking your identity,” Liam teased, rolling his eyes. “Or the fact that he erased your memories.”

“Louis is my life,” I shrugged, running my fingers over the crystal ball in my sleeve. “And I’ll protect him with it.”

“You might have to,” Niall whispered soberly, looking down at the table where his hands were clasped around his girlfriend’s. “We all might have to give our lives for each other.”

“You don’t have to,” I repeated, guilt filling in my stomach. “You guys can pull out whenever you want. I’d understand.”

“We’re with you until the end,” Penelope promised, leaning into her boyfriend. “We all are.”


	37. Chapter 37

“Ready?” I breathed, trembling slightly where I was stood.

The boys nodded, glancing between each other quickly, as well as the two girls that were standing with us.

“I’m going to go deal with the fake,” Louis nodded, pressing his lips to mine one last time before disappearing.

“That gives us exactly one minute to get to the ballroom,” I sighed, rubbing my temple. “Last chance to drop out.”

“When will you get it in your tiny little brain that we aren’t leaving you?” Niall chuckled, playfully tapping his fist to my cheek. “We’re in this together, from the beginning to the end.”

“I love you guys,” I admitted, earning small gasps from them. “In the human way, you idiots.”

“Then,” Penelope grinned. “I love you too, Harry.”

“Me too,” Liam whispered, leaning into his husband.

“I love you tons, Harry,” Zayn stammered with a smile.

“Love you, mate,” Niall agreed, rubbing his thumb into my shoulder.

“You are all going to burn in hell,” Eleanor laughed, wrapping her arms around all of us. “I’m going to drop all of you, and then I’m getting the hell out of there.”

“Thank you so much,” I breathed, smiling at her. Within a split second, we were all on the ballroom balcony, overlooking a small army of guards that were following someone who looked exactly the same as I did, save for the outfit.

“You,” the other Harry spat, drawing a sword from his belt. “I thought I dealt with you.”

“You were wrong,” I growled as Louis blinked up next to me. “Take me down there, Louis.”

“I’ll take the other two first,” he decided, grabbing Niall and Penelope and sending them down. He was back within a second, slipping his hand into mine. “Harry, I can send you right back home and we could forget this ever happened,” he tried, his eyes pleading silently.

“No, Lou, I need to do this,” I breathed, pressing a kiss to his lips quickly. “Take me down there, then get yourself as far away from here as possible.”

“I’m never leaving you again,” he whispered.

“Then get yourself out of arm’s reach, at least.”

He dropped me on the main floor, then vanished somewhere.

“I thought that erasing your memories would get you out of here forever,” the other Harry hissed, twirling his sword around as he stepped closer. “But you’re more foolish than I thought.”

“I want you to stop pretending to be me,” I demanded, running my fingers over the crystal ball in my sleeve. “Galaxy.”

“When did you figure it out?” He teased, flicking his brown hair out of his eyes.

“When I was in the human world,” I shrugged, forcing a ball of light into my palm. “My therapist helped me remember small things, and in every memory that Galaxy was in, I saw you.”

“Not bad, Styles,” he cocked one eyebrow, aiming his sword towards me. “Too bad you failed where it really mattered.”

As he bolted towards me, his blade aimed directly towards my chest, I raised one hand- the one not touching the crystal ball- and focused the energy out. A beam of light burst out, knocking the imposter flat onto his back.

“You little fuck,” the other Harry shouted, shooting back up to his feet. “You’re not the only one who can do the spells!” He raised his hand up as well, trying his hardest to retaliate.

“You’ve gotta dress the part to cast the spells,” I smirked, mentally thanking Minnie, wherever she was. “Take this-!” Hitting him again, I lightly caressed the crystal ball in my sleeve. It was an amplifier; it was possible to do the spells without it, but it helped quite a bit.

“I see I misjudged you,” he huffed, spitting onto the floor, blood mixing with his saliva. “But no worries, I can kill you just as easily.”

“Try it.”

The phony sprinted at me again, holding his sword in a way that would stab me if I let him make contact. Without enough time to cast another beam, I dodged to one side- not quite fast enough, unfortunately. Pain shot up from my shoulder as blood trickled down my arm.

“See? No problem,” the other Harry laughed, wiping the red stains off of his blade with his index fingers. “I could kill you in my sleep.”

“You wish,” I hissed, gripping my shoulder to try and numb the pain. It took all the energy I could muster to create another ball of light, and, while closing my eyes, I shaped the light into a blade. When my eyes flickered open again, I had a sword made out of pure energy in my hand. “Let’s try this.”

“No offense, Styles,” he beamed, twirling his sword in his hand. “I’ve seen you fight, and you’re quite blatantly terrible at it.”

“Just try me,” I challenged, running forwards to the man. Our blades met with a loud metal sound, knocking both of us backwards. He had a surprised look on his face as we were thrown from our feet.

He charged again, slicing the air in front of me. It took all that I had to block the quick attacks, backing me up into a corner. Eventually he managed to knock the sword from my hand-it disappeared into the air- then smashed me right up against the wall.

“I’m absolutely right,” the other Harry laughed, lifting his blade to my neck. “You’re terrible at this.”

My heart was racing, but I did the only thing that I could think of; I cast another light beam directly at his chest. He was shot back, stumbling as he tried to catch his balance.

“I’m not terrible at that,” I stammered, trying to catch my breath.

“No, you’re not,” he hissed, wiping the blood from his lips. “I’m going to destroy you.”

Once again, he charged at me too fast for me to dodge- his sword plunged right into my sleeve, cutting the fabric holding the crystal ball. It seemed to fall in slow motion, shattering against the floor as soon as it made contact.

“I thought so,” the other Harry grinned.

I was speechless, frozen staring at the remains. The flat side of the sword smacked against my head with such force that I was knocked to the ground, landing in the crystal pieces.

With my arm torn up by the shards of the ball, I laid on my back, staring up at the the reflection of myself. He brandished his sword towards my throat, the tip just barely brushing the skin.

“Poor, poor Harry,” he pouted, pretending to be sympathetic. “Just trying to take care of his kingdom, and ends up dying because he doesn’t know when to give up.”

“Shut the fuck up, Galaxy,” I hissed, clenching my fists to keep from shaking.

“Don’t fucking call me that!” He yelled, lifting his sword before plunging it back down into my arm, earning a loud scream of pain. “My name is Eximius Styles!”

“Eximius… Styles?” I repeated through tears. My arm was burning, blood trickling from the wound.

“Yeah, you little fuckhead. Appreciate your elders,” he demanded, replacing his sword at my throat.

“Y-you’re my ancestor?

“You don’t know?” He sighed, rolling his eyes at me. “Several hundred years ago, I was born and rejected from society because I was better than everyone else. I met her, and she treated me like a normal person I asked her to marry me, and she turned me down. She told me I was a freak. That moment… I cursed her.”

“You cursed her? Who is she?”

“I cursed her that I would follow her until she loved me back,” he continued, twirling the handle of the sword in his fingers. “I gave her the crystal ball that I just broke, and she used it to immediately change me into a form that wouldn’t bother her- a cat.”

“Sucks to be you,” I hissed, trying not to focus on the cold metal against my neck.

“And you, dear Harry Styles, broke the curse,” he smiled, looking up towards the balcony. “You got our dear Louise Tumlen to fall deeply in love with me. Louise, won’t you come here? If you don’t, I’ll kill your boy.”

“Who is Louise?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

“Louise!” He shouted. “Get down here.”

The caramel-haired boy appeared by us, both hands in the air. “Are you talking about me?”

“Yes, of course I am,” he hissed, grabbing the brown hair and flinging him to the floor by me.

“I’m not Louise Tumlen, though,” he stammered, picking himself up slowly. “I’m Louis Tomlinson- _oh_.”

I think it dawned on everyone at the same time that Tomlinson literally means ‘Son of Tomlin’, and that Tomlin and Tumlen were very similar- similar enough to be a spelling error.

“You’re wrong,” I muttered, reaching for the caramel-haired man.

The sword cut my other sleeve, knocking my hand back to the ground. “Oh yeah? Please, Harry, do explain how I’m wrong.”

“I got him to fall in love with me,” I whispered, using my damaged arm to grab a shard of the ball. “Not you. You beat him and that isn’t love.”

“This is her punishment for being so cruel for so long,” he replied, slamming his foot into Louis’ stomach, causing him to spit up a small amount of blood. “If she loved me from the beginning, like she should’ve, then this never would’ve happened.”

“Don’t-” I raised my free arm towards him. “Hurt-” I focused a little amount of energy. “My-” The beam that shot out wasn’t very strong, but was enough to knock him away. “Boyfriend!”

With whatever energy I could muster, I got back to my feet, clutching the shard of the crystal ball so hard that blood was spilling from my hand.

“Damn you,” he coughed, spinning his sword. “Why won’t you just die?!”

“You can’t kill me,” I breathed, wavering on my feet as I made another light sword. The blood loss was beginning to affect my consciousness. “Good will always prevail.”

“You poor soul,” Eximius laughed. “You can barely stay up, how on earth do you expect to defeat me?”

“Like this,” I huffed, using the last of my energy to race towards him, my blade aimed for his chest. As I approached him, I saw a small smirk grow on his lips, and then there was nothing.

Both arms dropped to my sides, limp. The sword vanished, and the shard fell from my ever-loosening grip. Somewhere I heard my name, but it was miles away and faint. As my head fell, I saw the silver sword plunged deep into my stomach, impaled through my flesh and coming out my back.

“Good night, Harry,” the man said, kicking me off of his blade.

I collapsed on the floor, numb to the pain. Warm liquid pooled around me, staining my skin and the robes I was wearing. Hands grabbed at my face, forcing me to look up at a familiar figure.

“Harry, Harry,” Louis gasped, tears spilling from his eyes. “Harry, you’re okay, look at me, you’re okay.”

My hand slowly lifted to trace his cheek.

“I love you,” I managed, blood trailing from my lips.

My vision faded out, leaving me in nothing but darkness.


	38. Chapter 38

“Harry? Harry!” I cried, lightly slapping his cheeks to try and get him to regain consciousness. “Please, Harry, I need you to wake up. You can’t leave me- you can’t.”

The other Harry- Eximius, I suppose- was laughing, his voice slowly getting closer.

Niall slid over, gently taking the curly-haired boy from me. “I’ll take care of Harry,” he breathed. His eyes were full of emotion, yet stoic. “Remember what he said- if anything should happen to him.”

“R-right,” I stammered, wiping the wetness from my eyes. “I have to take him down.”

Slowly getting to my feet, I turned on my heel. The other Harry was still approaching, twirling his sword. “Did I kill your boyfriend?”

“I hate you,” I hissed, rage bubbling in my chest. “I hate you so fucking much and so did Louise.”

“How would you know that?” He snapped, obviously pissed.

“If a woman turns you down, you don’t fucking curse her,” I yelled, focusing on the sword I had in my bedroom, forcing it into my hand. “You move the fuck on, and you definitely don’t kill her real love!”

“You honestly think he’s your true love?” the man asked, rolling his eyes. “I’m your true love, can’t you see that?”

“All I can see is an abusive murderer,” I replied, running forward to slice him. He raised his sword up to hit me, but I knocked the blade away with my own, then pulled my dagger out of thin air with my free hand.

“Where do those keep coming from-!?” he hissed, stumbling out of reach as I swung at him.

“It’s my special power,” I explained, slicing his shirt open. “I can make items appear and disappear at will.”

“How unique,” he shrugged. His chest was out in the open now, revealing the Munus on his heart. I blinked a few times, a plan forming in my mind. “It’s not going to help you win.”

“No, I can do that on my own,” I sassed, speeding towards him again. My dagger shot up to block his blade, while my sword cut into his side. He fell backwards, dropping his sword to grip at his wound.

“You son of a bitch!”

“I have a question, and I want you to answer me truthfully,” I snapped, stepping down on his chest. “If you’re in love with me, why did you break off our engagement?”

“I wanted you to know how it felt to have your heart torn apart,” he hissed. “I was going to force you to marry me anyways, but it doesn’t matter now.”

He gripped my foot, forcing me backwards. As I was falling, I blinked to my feet, back where Harry was laying. He was surrounded by the rest of the boys and Penelope, who was crying into her Sodalis’ chest. That forced the rage back into my chest. With an angry growl, I ran back towards him, getting rid of my dagger.

The man readied his sword again, ready to cut me, but when he sliced, I transported myself to just out of his reach. I slammed my hand against his Munus, then plunged my sword into his stomach- approximately where he had impaled Harry.

The scream that left his mouth was blood-curdling, sending shivers down my spine. He fell to his knees, his eyes rolling back in his head, and tears poured from his face. After a long second, I pulled my sword out, making him fall back on the ground. Blood spurted from his wound, creating a pool of scarlet liquid around his now limp body.

“The Munus increases sensitivity,” I spat, kicking his corpse. “You _fucker_.”

After a second of looking at the dead form, I turned quickly, dropping my sword to the ground as I ran towards the curly-haired boy.

“Harry?” I whispered, lifting his listless head from the floor. “Harry, please-”

“I’m so sorry,” Liam mumbled, setting his hand on my shoulder. “None of the healers could- they couldn’t do anything.”

“What do you mean, they couldn’t do anything?” I begged, tears pooling in my eyes. “They’re healers, they’re supposed to heal him!”

“The wound is too big,” Zayn sniffled, trying to keep from crying. The blonds were already sobbing, holding each other tight. “They couldn’t close it up.”

“Did all of them try? Together? We can’t let him die-”

“Louis,” the brown-haired boy interrupted, rubbing circles into my shoulder blade. “It’s too late.”

My lower lip quivered as I leaned over Harry, pressing a kiss to his cold, unresponsive mouth.

“I love you so much,” I whispered, letting tears fall from my eyes onto his cheeks. “I’ll always love you.”

 


	39. Chapter 39

My eyes flickered open at the sound of my alarm clock. The light was poking through my curtains, earning a frustrated grunt. There was no real reason for me to be awake this early, but I had a morning schedule. Reluctantly getting to my feet, I stepped out of my own room and across the hallway into the guest room- or, as the sign I had hung on the door read, _Louis’ Room_.

It was still dark in his room, being on the other side of the house from the sunrise, which was a refreshing change from my own. The blanket was up to his shoulders, protecting him from the early morning chill in his cold bedroom.

With a little sigh, I turned up the thermostat on his wall; Louis still didn’t quite understand how electricity worked. I made my way to his bed, sitting on the edge of his mattress. The caramel-haired boy didn’t move, but let out a sleepy snore.

“Good morning,” I breathed, twirling one of his locks around my finger. “It’s time to wake up, darling.”

“Go away,” he huffed, rolling onto his belly to hide his face in the pillow.

“I know, I know,” I grinned, pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck. “The sun isn’t up, therefore you’re not up.”

“‘xactly,” he agreed, waving his hand at me. “Lemme sleep.”

“But this is the only time I get to cuddle with you,” I whined, laying down next to him. “You know my mum doesn’t like us being alone together, and-”

“Yeah,” he interrupted, rolling to face me. “I know.” Through a sleepy smile, he leaned forward to smooch my lips. It was a soft, sweet kiss, gentle and morning breath-y. “Do you have school today?”

“Yeah,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “I hate it.”

“Don’t be like that,” Louis pouted, delicately caressing my cheeks. “You need to learn, right?”

“I know, I know,” I hummed, kissing him again. “Wanna go shower with me?”

“Your mom will be livid-”

“Mum doesn’t wake up for another half hour.”

He quickly sat up, hurrying me to the bathroom. Once inside with the door locked, the caramel-haired boy slammed me up against the wall, his hands tracing the hem of my shirt.

“We’re going to get in so much trouble,” he grinned, capturing my lips with his. He pulled the knot of my waistband loose, causing my pants to drop to my ankles. “I just don’t even care.”

My fingers pulled at his pajama bottoms, slowly lowering them to down his thighs. “Then let’s go, babe,” I teased, gently rubbing the butt of my palm against his cock. “The sooner we’re in the shower, the sooner we can get it on.”

He lifted my shirt over my head, then paused at my stomach. “Oh Harry,” he whispered, getting on his knees to press kisses over my scar. “Does it hurt?”

“No, I’ve told you,” I giggled, running my fingers through his hair. “It doesn’t feel like anything different from the rest of my skin.”

“It’s just the discoloration really upsets me,” Louis sighed, tracing his tongue over the edge of the scar. “I’m just glad that you’re alive.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you, sweetheart,” I hummed, pulling him up to stand up. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” the caramel-haired man agreed, tugging on my wrist until we were both in the shower stall, completely naked. The water started, cold at first, spraying down on our bodies. “Your water is broken again.”

“No, you idiot,” I grinned, pinning him against the stall wall. “In the Human world, it takes a while for our water to heat up.”

“I don’t like that.”

“Tough luck, it’s how things work here.”

He rolled his baby-blue eyes, leaning in to kiss me again.

-

After a quickie in the shower, Louis was laying in my bed, watching me get dressed in my uniform. He had his eyes on my scar continuously, tracing it with his vision.

“I’m so glad your dad was able to heal you,” he mumbled, reaching forward to run his finger over it. “Who would’ve guessed that he was that strong?”

“His Munus is near his heart, after all,” I shrugged, shuddering at the contact. “It makes sense that he’d be able to close my wound.”

“You didn’t see it though,” the caramel-haired man huffed. “It was terrifying- we had all given up, convinced that you were dead- then I remembered your dad, and I grabbed him, and we got you just in time.”

“I’ll have to write him a thank-you note,” I teased, smooching his nose. “What do we have planned for today?”

“You have school, and then I get to take you back to the Kingdom for the ball tonight,” he sighed, setting his head back on the pillow. “We’re going to be announcing our engagement to the surrounding Kingdoms.”

“That sounds amazing.”

There was a knock at the door, and Louis winked once before blinking out of the room.

“Harry, are you awake?” Mum asked, knocking again.

“Yup!” I called back, pulling on my uniform sweater. “Awake and ready to go!”

“Is Louis in there with you?”

“You know we’re not allowed to be alone together,” I sighed, heading to the door and opening it.

“I just don’t feel comfortable with you boys sleeping together out of wedlock,” she explained, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Even if you two _are_ engaged.”

“We would’ve been married by now,” the caramel-haired man added, leaning against his own doorframe; he had quickly pulled on his pajama bottoms again, by the look of it. “If we were back in the Kingdom.”

“And you know that I don’t want Harry getting married until after high school,” Mum grinned, wrapping her arms around Louis in a hug. “Good morning to you, too.”

“Morning, Mum,” he replied, rubbing her back. “I’ll be taking Haz to the Kingdom tonight for a ball, would you like to attend?”

“Do I finally get to meet your mother?”

“If you’d like to, yeah,” he beamed; After we had explained the whole Eximius thing to her, Mum and Jay had started writing each other letters. They were quickly becoming best friends, and were planning a large wedding that starts in the Human world, and ends in the Kingdom.

“Ooh, I can’t wait,” she clapped, bouncing a little. “Oh! I have to go shopping and get myself a dress!”

“They already have a dress,” I explained, rolling my eyes. “And they can tailor it to fit you in less than a minute.”

“I need to get my nails done, and my hair, and- oh, there’s so much to do!” She said, hurrying down the hall to grab her phone. “Come downstairs when you’re ready, I have breakfast ready for you boys!”

Louis crossed the hall to slip his hand into mine. “She’s so cute when she’s excited,” he grinned, resting his head against my shoulder- I was beginning to grow a little taller than he was.

“Isn’t she though?” I laughed, pressing a quick kiss to his hair. “Will you take me to school today?”

“Sure, when do you need to be there?”

“7.”

“I think I can manage that,” he agreed, taking me downstairs.

-

I stumbled into the classroom a second before the bell rang, making my way into my seat. Nick raised his eyebrow at my disheveled appearance, grinning knowingly.

“Busy morning?” he teased, gesturing at my messed-up hair.

“Louis demanded to fuck me in the single stall bathroom,” I whispered, adjusting my shirt. “He’s fucked me twice this morning alone and I think we’re going to do another round after class.”

“How do you put up with that?” the brunet laughed, rolling his eyes at me. “Your ass is going to split apart.”

“I just love it too much,” I grinned, shifting on my ass to keep from hurting more. “What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“Blow jobs, hand jobs, etc,” he shrugged.

“Shut up,” I hissed, turning to the teacher.

Nick had been against Louis when they were introduced. He was convinced that he was still an insane rapist- until we broke every law in the Kingdom by taking Nick there. Now he was somewhat for our relationship, although he was still a little hesitant about being around us together.

He tossed a note onto my desk, and when I flipped it open, it read, **I’m happy for you**

-

After class, I snuck back into the single stall bathroom to meet Louis again. He had a grin on his face, immediately snaking his arms around my waist to press us together.

“Alright, babe,” he hummed, kissing down my neck. “To the castle?”

“When’s the ball start?” I asked, fighting the moan coming from the soft smooches.

“Two hours, but I thought we could have dinner with Li, Z, and Niall,” he shrugged, smiling slightly. “We haven’t seen them in almost a week.”

“Fine, fine,” I grinned, catching his lips. “To the castle.”

He blinked, dropping us in the middle of the oracle suite. “Get changed, we can’t wear Human clothes around here.”

“Alright,” I said, walking to the closet. He could wear my clothing now, since we were engaged, although he wasn’t quite used to it yet. We quickly got dressed, before he teleported us to a small dining room.

The other three boys were already sitting around the table, their conversations stopping as we entered.

“Harry!” Niall cheered, getting to his feet quickly. He was dressed formal, his blond hair slicked back.

“Hey Ni,” I beamed, running forward to give him a hug. “How have you been? How’s the missus?”

“Penny’s been fine,” he laughed, holding me tight. “She’s on her shift right now, otherwise she’d be here as well.”

I pulled away from the blond to see Liam wrapping himself around Louis, hugging the boy so tightly he let out a small squeak.

“It’s been a while,” Zayn added, leaning over the table to press a kiss to my nose, something I had taught them was an acceptable Human greeting. “How have you been doing?”

“Eh, I’ve had classes every day,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “It’s been taking a lot of effort to catch up before graduation.”

“He doesn’t have any time for me anymore,” Louis whined playfully, taking his seat next to his best friend. “I have to stay home alone while he’s studying.”

“If you want me to graduate on time, you have to put up with some things,” I scoffed, sliding into the chair next to Niall. “And I have to graduate if you want to marry me.”

He blushed slightly, pouting at me across the table. “I do.”

“Then put up with it,” the blond teased, rolling his eyes. “I can’t wait to meet your Mum, Harry. Is she coming tonight?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“What is she like?” Liam asked as our meals were set on the table.

“Well…”

-

Dinner finished quickly, and Louis brought us back up to the Oracle Suite to get ready for the ball. He and I changed into the formal suits that the tailor had brought up for us, before he disappeared to grab my mother. I sat down in front of the mirror while Lou was doing my face.

“Excited to tell the world?” the purple-haired girl beamed, pulling my hair back with her magic.

“Nervous, anxious, wary, etc,” I shrugged, fluttering my eyelashes. “Do you think they’ll be alright with us?”

“The people love you, and they’ll love Louis,” she giggled, snapping her fingers to clear up my face. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Oh my goodness,” came  voice from behind us, causing us both to turn around.

“Mom!” I beamed, getting to my feet to greet her properly.

“Is this your room, Harry?” she asked, holding my hands in front of her. “Goodness, you look so formal.”

“This is my proper formal costume,” I explained, spinning slowly so she could see my outfit. “I’m sure they have something similar for you.”

“We do indeed,” Lou beamed, flicking her hair behind her ear. “It’s a gown that was made for Queen Styles around a century ago.”

“Queen?” She gasped, setting her hand on her chest. “This is unbelievable, Harry.”

“Let me get you dressed,” the purple-haired woman smiled, rolling her eyes. They left to the wardrobe together, leaving Louis and I alone in the room.

“You do look lovely,” he agreed, stepping forward and taking my hand in his. The skin was soft and warm, sending shivers down my spine. “I’m a lucky man.”

“I think I’m the lucky one, actually,” I hummed, leaning forward to kiss him. Our lips pressed together, his hand lifted to caress my cheek, and I let out a soft mewl. “I love you, Louis.”

“I love you too,” he grinned, letting go of my hand to wrap his arms around my waist. “I need to go get my mom and get her changed, but I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll miss you, every second.”

He blinked out, disappearing in my arms, and at the same time, Mum came out of the closet. Her dress was large and ruffled, hiding her legs and exaggerating her hips. Her hair was done up in a bun and pinned with roses, showing off a pair of large ruby earrings. She was wearing a bolero to cover her arms, as well as a pair of dainty gloves.

“Oh my goodness,” I breathed, breaking out into a wide grin. “You look amazing, Mum.”

“Thank you so much,” she beamed, tearing up slightly. “This is beautiful.”

“You look absolutely regal, Miss Styles,” Lou bowed, grinning as well.

“Actually, it’s, uh, it’s Miss Cox.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she nodded.

“Baack,” Louis sang, dropping his mother in the middle of the room. “Oh wow, Anne, you look amazing!”

“Anne?” Jay asked, covering her mouth with one hand.

“Jay?”

They embraced each other, giggling slightly. “You’re exactly the same as I imagined you,” Mum beamed, rocking them back and forth.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” she replied, grinning brightly. “I can’t believe I’m finally getting to meet you.”

“Come on, Miss Tomlinson,” Lou grinned, taking both of the women’s wrists. “It’s your turn to get changed.”

All three of them disappeared into the closet, once again leaving Louis and I alone.

“Are you ready to do this?” I mumbled, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Tell the world, get all of this out in the open.”

“I am if you are,” he replied, resting his head on my shoulder. “I admit, I’m a little scared, but if you stay by me, then I’ll be okay.”

“We’ll do it together,” I promised, burying one hand in his hair. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Harry,” he sighed, snaking his arms around my waist. “I want to marry you more than anything else in this world.”

“Come on you two,” Mum interrupted, holding Jay’s hand tight. She was dressed in a long, slim gown that hugged her figure, with a shawl covering her shoulders.

“It’s time to head downstairs- oh, is this your first time going to a ball?” Jay asked, seemingly forgetting all about us.

“One of the new Messengers will be along to take you guys there,” Louis interrupted, sticking his tongue out. “We’ll meet you two down there.”

He blinked, dropping us in the small room off of the balcony. Muffled conversations drifted through the door, although we kept silent.

“I’m scared,” he squeaked, hiding his face in my shirt. “I’m terrified, Harry.”

“Baby, why?” I cooed, running my fingers through his hair.

“They’re going to hate me, I’m a Tomlinson,” he stammered, trembling slightly. “I’m not worthy, Harry, I’m going to be ridiculed.”

“Darling,” I whispered, kissing the top of his head. “I love you, and so will everyone else.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you’re lovable and sweet,” I hummed, rocking him back and forth. “They’re going to call us out in a second, and we’re going to go out, and everyone will love you. I promise.”

“I love you, Harry, I really do,” he whispered, pulling away from me as the door opened.

“Your Majesty?” Niall grinned, popping his head in. “They’re ready for you.”

After taking a deep breath, we stepped out onto the balcony, earning a large amount of applause and cheering. Our fingers were laced together as we approached the edge, his shaking between mine.

I raised my free hand to silence to crowd. “Good Evening,” I called, smiling down at the familiar faces. “I have a rather large announcement for everyone.”

Although he was reluctant, Louis and I lifted our hands into the air.

“I’m engaged to my lovely Uxor, Louis Tomlinson.”

The crowd was surprised for a moment, causing the caramel-haired boy’s hand to go cold and clammy.

Then, after a second, they erupted in even more cheers and applause.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's read this mess, and thank you even more for sticking through until the end.


End file.
